Latest news with #MeghanRussell
Irish Times
17 hours ago
- Business
- Irish Times
Carl O'Brien: ‘Why many of today's apprentices are out-earning college graduates'
When Meghan Russell was in sixth year she recalls being encouraged by teachers and guidance counsellors to get a college degree at all costs. After duly completing a bachelor of science in environmental health at Technological University Dublin, she soon realised an office job wasn't for her. Two weeks ago she completed her four-year stint as an apprentice electrician with CJK engineering in Dublin. She loves the satisfaction of fitting out new buildings or problem-solving how to rewire older ones. READ MORE Meghan Russell has just graduated as an apprentice electrician. Photograph: Alan Betson An added bonus is that she is out-earning many of her college graduate friends, with a starting salary of about €52,000. With enough overtime, she says, it can rise to €60,000-€70,000. By contrast, latest figures indicate that average starting salaries for college graduates are about €34,000 for those completing undergraduate courses. Many school leavers like Meghan find their real strength lies in learning through doing. In a previous era, their opportunities were confined to apprenticeships in construction and the motor trade. Today's school leavers have a choice of some 77 apprenticeship programmes across every sector of the economy. They include new degree-level apprenticeships in areas such as ICT, financial services and insurance. They range in length from two to four-year programmes and are certified from levels five (certificate) to level 10 (PhD standard). Turnaround Latest figures show there were about 9,000 new registrations last year, the highest on record, an increase of more than 60 per cent over the past three years. These days, more school leavers realise that apprenticeships provide a chance to 'earn and learn'. Why haven't they been more popular? Some say it's snobbery. For many parents – and, by extension school leavers – there has been no cap and gown at the end of it. But it is more than that, I think. Apprenticeships, in the eyes of many well-meaning parents, seem to lack stability of employment. There's a perception that they are more at risk from the vagaries of the economy. That is changing with the advent of degree-level apprenticeships. For a growing number, they are jumping in advance of college graduates in similar fields with years of on-the-job experience under their belt by the time they finish. To find out more, visit Exams Believe it or not, it was day 12 of the State exams today. Thousands of Leaving Cert completed their design and communication graphics (CDG) exam in the morning, following by music in the afternoon. Music was a challenging paper with some familiar Irish musicians , while the general tone of the DCG exam was one of familiarity with topics that ' should be in everyone's arsenal' . Up tomorrow: Economics (9.30-12pm) and Physical Education (2-4.30pm)
The Province
26-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Province
Wedding bells ring for B.C. Farming for Love couple in their TV romance success story
Season 1 farmer Doug Groenendijk surprised Meghan Russell with a proposal at his Chemainus dairy farm Farming for Love season 1 couple Doug Groenendijk and Meghan Russell are engaged. Chemainus dairy farmer Groenendijk surprised Russell with a proposal on April 12. Photo by LIAM JOHNSON / Courtesy of Lark Productions Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. Farming for Love season 1 couple Doug Groenendijk and Meghan Russell are engaged. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Groenendijk, a dairy farmer from Chemainus, recently popped the question to Russell, a dairy researcher who grew up on a farm in the Ottawa Valley but moved to the Chemainus area in late 2022, a month or so after the finale of the show aired. The format for the CTV reality show that introduced the couple sees a farmer invite a group of singles to live and work alongside them. During the show, produced by Vancouver's Lark Productions, singles take part in farm chores, group activities and one-on-one dates with the farmer. Farming for Love season 1 couple Doug Groenendijk and Meghan Russell plan on getting married in 2026. The couple, who are busy running Legend Dairy Farms in the Chemainus area, have been together for two and half years and say the key to their successful born on TV relationship has been communication Photo by LIAM JOHNSON / Courtesy of LArk Productions Groenendijk, 28, surprised Russell, 26, with his proposal on April 12. The ruse was a good one that led Russell to believe that the Farming for Love production was returning to shoot footage for a where-are-they-now-type show. Essential reading for hockey fans who eat, sleep, Canucks, repeat. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'Doug got together with the film crew, and basically they played me,' said Russell over the phone from the active milking barn at the Legend Dairy Farms near Chemainus. 'They said that they were going to do some kind of reunion where they were just catching up with each of the couples from, our season and season 2, and it would just be a couple hours, an interview … They had set up here at the farm, flowers everywhere. They kept asking us questions and then Doug got into a little spiel, saying all these things. And then next thing I knew, he was down on one knee. 'I had absolutely no idea,' added Russell. 'We didn't go ring shopping or anything. So, yeah, I was very surprised.' The good news on the ring front is that Groenendijk got it right, picking an oval cut diamond set in yellow gold. 'He picked it himself and somehow I guess he listened and picked out the right one,' said Russell. 'I was surprised.' When asked about their early interactions on the show, both Groenendijk and Russell were quick to respond. 'Oh, he was very charismatic. Definitely a character and a half,' said Russell. 'He was just really easy to talk to. There's a lot of energy there, which I really like.' Groenendijk also pointed to the conversational ease that the pair enjoyed. He also said Russell buoyed him during the filming. 'She brought my energies levels up,' said Groenendijk. 'We had lots of common interests. She was obviously beautiful, so I couldn't say no to that.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Together now for two and half years and working side-by-side for a big chunk of that time, the happy couple both point to communication and patience as keys to their successful relationship. 'Working together, there's definitely a lot of things you'll learn about each other really quickly,' said Groenendijk. The pair both grew up on dairy farms their parents ran. Groenendijk has worked on his parents farm his whole life and, not long ago, started up Legend Dairy Farms. Russell was also a busy farm kid who went on to get an Agricultural Sciences degree with a focus on animal science. 'Oh, yeah, lots of opinions,' said Russell when asked about running a farm together. 'I think we both see it as we can take the best parts of that knowledge base and try to incorporate it together,' said Groenendijk. 'It's definitely a lot of good training for when we do live together.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. As for the big day, well, that is still up in the air as the couple has a lot to take into consideration. 'No date yet, but sometime in 2026. We've been kind of talking about it,' said Groenendijk. 'It's kind of tricky because her family is on the other side of the country from mine. So, first we have to establish where it's gonna be, what time of year it's gonna be. 'It's hard with the farmer schedule too, because the life of the dairy farmer is always go, go, go. Never seems to slow down because you've got to milk cows, 24/7, 365 days a year.' Farming for Love is based on Fremantle's long-running and successful show format The Farmer Wants a Wife, which has had 30 plus global iterations, resulting in 200 plus marriages and over 550 children. Both season 1 and 2 of the series can be seen on and CRAVE. Read More
