Placements

Equipeople has been placing young Europeans in equine and agricultural positions for over 8 years and has built up a network of over 400 host families wishing to welcome students into their homes. Families are delighted to share their way of life with their student and in return expect the student to work on the farm as part of the family.

Students are required to help with all aspects of the daily running of the farm such as looking after animals, milking, cleaning out animal houses, general maintenance and repair work and all work consistent with the running of a modern farm.

Our host families understand that the student is here to learn and to experience life in Ireland. Students are actively encouraged to visit local places of interest and to join in community activities.

Our families are asked to treat their student as they would like their son or daughter to be treated if he or she was visiting another country.

Conversely, students are expected to treat their host family with respect and again treat them, as they would like their own family to be treated.

We strive hard to place the student in a position that will help him to advance his future career. We like to have as much information as possible about students so that we can place them with the family that suits them. Some students thrive on a big commercial farm whilst others benefit from small family-run mixed farms. The more information we receive about a student the easier it is to place them on the type of farm that they need to further their education.

Some of our female students choose to be placed in agri-home / agri-tourism sector placements. Here they help in the house and with children, basic cooking and perhaps also help on the farm. Other female students prefer to be placed directly on dairy farms.


Our equine placements are also extremely popular with female students. The Home and Horse Programme allows girls to combine their love for children and helping out in the home with their interest in horses.

Our male students usually prefer to be placed on mixed farms during which time they experience all aspects of farm life including tractor driving, looking after animals, making hay, etc.

We are happy to welcome individuals and school groups. If a student is coming individually then we advise a minimum stay of three months. If we receive a group of students from the same school we can tailor a programme to suit the school’s requirements and in this situation we welcome students for periods of four weeks onwards.



Students must be at least 17 years of age and have good English skills. They must also be mature enough to live in another country, with a different culture and be open to new experiences. It is not possible to place friends within the same host family however on some occasions it can be arranged to place them near to each other.

Students staying a minimum of three months will receive all food, accommodation and €100 per week from their host family. This will easily cover their living expenses however students will not be able to save much money. Students staying for the minimum period of four weeks do not receive pocket money however they do of course receive accommodation and meals. Families normally include the student in activities, outings, visits, etc. that happen during the students’ visit. We encourage the host families to think of the student as a member of their family.

In addition to finding a suitable placement, Equipeople provides a full back up service for students including a comprehensive Welcome Pack on arrival. In this Welcome Pack we include information and contact details for Equipeople, general information about Ireland and Irish agriculture and information about available tours, places to see, youth hostels etc. All students receive at least one phone call from us to check that they are happy and all students staying over three months also receive a site visit from us during which we talk to the host and student individually to ensure the placement is working well for both. We meet groups of five or more students at the airport and coordinate their onward journey from the airport to the host. Prior to their departure we also organise the trip to the airport for their flight home. We are here to help in whatever way possible. We want the student to have a safe, enjoyable and educational time in Ireland and we work hard to make this happen.

All hosts are visited in advance of a student being placed there, firstly to ensure their suitability to host a student but also to brief them on the students aims and requirements. Hosts also receive a host manual prior to receiving their first student. In the event of a problem we are only a phone call away. If a student is unhappy in their placement we will try and sort out the problem, if this is not possible we will look after them until another suitable placement has been found. As we have a good reputation with host families we normally have a waiting list of families wishing to accept a student. If we have any cause for concern with any student we keep in very close contact with them and if necessary remove them from that placement.