Ag careers showcased at Sheep and Wool Show

School leavers, it’s official. Agriculture is where it is at!

 

While graduates in many less fertile fields struggle to find full-time employment those with agricultural qualifications can literally cherry-pick.

 

A shortage of labour across the agri-skills chain and the pressure to double food production to feed the estimated 9.8 billion world population by 2050 have created the perfect storm for ag students across education platforms.

 

A study by Charles Sturt University Research Professor of Agriculture Jim Pratley shows there are currently upwards of five jobs available per agricultural graduate.

 

These opportunities will be showcased at the Careers and Technology Hub at the Australian Sheep and Wool Show (ASWS).

 

Co-ordinator Mac McArthur said a visit to the CT Hub would quickly dispel any notion that agriculture was an outdated, labour-intensive slog with some of the most exciting new technology being used in the field.

 

“Modern agriculture is innovative, high tech and exciting. It is not about endless hours sitting on a tractor in the dust, milking cows by hand or cutting burrs,” Mr McArthur said.

 

The salaries are not to be sneezed at either.  The average salary for people employed in agricultural industries is $79,000 a year, with first-year ag science graduates being offered between $50,000 and $65,000.

 

After a long drought of interest, the watershed in ag education is being reflected in course enrolments in agricultural science at Melbourne University jumping from a dozen students to more than 200 in four years

 

“This is where the jobs are in the future. Whether school leavers are from a rural background or urban background there are enormous options in this field now,” Mr McArthur said.

 

“All the major universities, ag colleges and suppliers of ag education will have sites in the CT Hub.

 

“As well as the agricultural educators we have a lot of companies that are providing electronic tagging systems, software and hardware and other modern technologies for things like the easy micro measuring of wool.

 

“This is a unique opportunity for students, parents and teachers to get a real window on what is going on in the sector and to ask education providers questions directly.”

 

The CT Hub will once again play host to the dynamic Tim Gentle and his Think Digital team. Think Digital had students lining up last year to experience free virtual reality and augmented reality technology.

 

This year the FarmVR experience will allow students to visit sheep properties around Australia and the opportunity to meet farmers, round up sheep, shear sheep, grade wool, pack and weigh wool and even watch a lamb being born.

 

The popular Soils Make Sense discussion forums will also once again be part of the CT Hub program with a number of high-achieving young professionals from across a range of agribusinesses talking about their careers in a friendly, interactive Q & A forum.

 

Other highlights include the Ross McKenzie Scholarship seminar program for young people involved in the sheep and wool industry with demonstrations on aspects of sheep production including a post-mortem session to show why a small percentage of lambs die close to birth.

 

Agriculture Victoria will also have a strong presence with a focus on electronic ID for sheep and goats and automatic drafting of sheep using electronic ID.

 

(source: www.farmonline.com.au)