Bumper year for inspiring careers in agriculture
CQUniversity’s Agri-tech Education and Extension team has had its biggest year yet, inspiring more than 5000 Australian primary and secondary students to encourage them to aspire to a career in the Australian agricultural sector.
Delivering research-informed programs of classroom visits and excursions to working farms and agricultural businesses, in 2023 the dynamic team reached 96 schools across Australia, and held 175 events.
CQUniversity Principal Research Fellow Associate Professor Amy Cosby leads the team, and says future-proofing Australia's $93 billion agriculture industry requires the next generation to understand increasingly high-tech demands of the sector.
“Technology is transforming the way we produce food and fibre in Australia and across the globe,” she said.
“So, if we can give young people the knowledge, confidence and skills to use agri-tech and get them passionate about it, they will be the catalyst that revolutionises the agriculture industry.”
With members based across CQUniversity’s national footprint, the team worked across 14 different projects, co-designed and delivered with industry groups to target specific challenges across the sector.
The 2023 program also included agriculture education professional development for more than 1020 teachers and industry representatives.
“We have reached more students, teachers, parents and industries than ever before, including visiting all states and territories – and we couldn’t have done this without involved and passionate partners across Australia’s agricultural sector,” A/Prof Cosby said.
“We have delivered several research projects, and focused on building the talent pipeline for the agricultural industry – showcasing to the next generation how exciting and fulfilling a career in food and fibre can be, whilst improving their knowledge and perception of the sector.
“We have also collaborated with industry to identify the current workforce attraction, development and retention strategies used and designed new solutions to ensure the sector is adapting and thriving into the future.”
Based in Gippsland in Victoria’s south-east, A/Prof Cosby said that projects focused on creating connection with industry and young people to inspire and attract the next generation workforce.
“Our collaborators are all dealing with skills shortages, and some of our key projects began with comprehensive consultation about the prospects they could see for young people in the agricultural industry, and how to get students aware of those opportunities, and excited about them,” she explained.
In 2021, the Agri-tech Education and Extension team surveyed more than 5000 primary and secondary students about their knowledge of agriculture, finding the majority considered agriculture to be a ‘low-tech industry'.
Concerningly, four in five primary students and three in five secondary students believed commercial milking of dairy cows occurred by hand, rather than by machine.
“Modern farming practices are not being adequately portrayed to Australian students, and that’s a likely contributing factor to skilled workforce shortages,” A/ Prof Cosby said.
The EXCITED 4 Careers in Agriculture was a joint initiative between CQUniversity and seven primary production industry groups, with funding from the Australian Government’s National Careers Institute.
The two-year project which finished up in mid-2023 creatively supported students to identify their strengths and interests that might align with agriculture careers.
In South Australia’s Clare Valley, CQU Agriculture Lecturer Dr Jaime Manning said students were keen to get their hands dirty as tested soil, assessed grapes, and explored local wineries.
“When we’re face-to-face and delivering activities, we see students’ joy of getting to try new things, to think outside the square, and most importantly break down some of those stereotypes about what a career in agriculture looks like,” she said.
The hands-on activities are curated to embed career guidance activities in classrooms, and strengthen the ability of teachers, parents, and industry professionals to support students exploring their career interests.
A/Prof Cosby says across all the projects, increasing skills, knowledge and aspiration for students also had immediate flow-on effects for businesses and industry.
“I really enjoy hearing from teachers that parents of students describe how excited their child was about the new technology they used in our activities, and now because of this their parent is considering using it within their agricultural business,” A/Prof Cosby said.
“Young people are excellent agents of change, and a really untapped resource for agriculture.”
For more information, visit CQU’s Agri-Tech Education and Extension website.
