Have you ever considered a career in agriculture?
The popular conception is that a person needs to be born to the land, that it’s a generational occupation – and increasingly difficult to profit from.
While nothing will replace learning first-hand on the land, supplementary training is essential to broaden the experience that young farmers bring to their practice – and for anyone who wants to begin a career in agriculture outside the immediate world of the farm.
Rapid developments and diversifying practises in agriculture mean there are new pathways for students to pursue in the field.
Bendigo-Kangan TAFE is making that business case for the development of their new Centre for Agricultural Studies, and has partnered with LaTrobe University and the Bendigo Senior Secondary College to present a professional development day involving agricultural leaders from across the state.
Peter Verrion, the co-ordinator of the Primary Industries Learning Program at the TAFE, says the aim of the day is to help promote and develop pathways from school through to TAFE and university into agricultural careers.
“We need to make sure everyone knows about the value of agriculture, and how young people can get from school into careers in agriculture,” said Mr Verrion.
“Some young people already have an understanding of careers in agriculture – there ARE careers, exciting and interesting careers – but we’re competing with other careers, and agriculture needs to be out there as well, competing.
Mr Verrion says science is fast becoming the centrepiece of agriculture, and that there are branch careers in business and innovation.
“It’s not just farming, although we don’t want to take anything away from that. There are a range of other careers that are associated with agriculture – whether it’s in ag science or ag technology or agribusiness – there’s lots of supporting careers that are related to agriculture,” he said.
He says the new centre will be a building that’s actually designed to highlight careers in agriculture.
“The facility will help us to meet the needs of not only young people coming through, but also people who have careers in agriculture but need to keep up with new technology,” said Mr Verrion.
Importantly, the new centre will help to slow the drain of young people from regional areas to the capital.
“The partnership is really designed to facilitate study in regional areas. It’s very easy to say ‘you have to go to Melbourne to study’… but we can help young people as they move through, they’ve got an opportunity to stay in Bendigo; to study not only at school but at Bendigo TAFE and LaTrobe; and if they’ve got careers in the region, they don’t have to go to Melbourne to do further studies.”
Source: abc.net.au
