FOR students seeking a career in agriculture, university is not the only launching pad to consider, with many choosing to gain on-farm qualifications through TAFE – as opposed to the “old way” of learning on the job – says Riverina Institute of TAFE (RIT), head teacher Graeme Anderson.
Mr Anderson, has seen both sides of the coin, having learned much about agriculture on his family’s farm when he was younger and then later working as a teacher at TAFE.
“In agriculture’s current economic climate getting qualifications, whether they be at TAFE or university, is the best was to start a career in agriculture,” he said.
Mr Anderson was a farmer on his family’s property for more than 20 years before taking up a teaching position at Wagga Wagga TAFE in 1993.
“It’s much tougher to learn on the job these days – farmers can’t afford to make mistakes because of the financial imperative with the science and technologies on farms today,” he said.
“What we’re trying to teach here at TAFE is the understanding of all this.
“Any advantage is only going to help students and give them the step up to a career in agriculture.”
Mr Anderson said 70 students were currently enrolled in RIT’s practical, ag-based courses.
“You look at farmers working crops, pastures and stock – that’s what we offer,” he said.
“Our main courses are the Certificate IV Diploma in Agriculture for farm management and a two-year, full-time Advanced Diploma in Agriculture, a course for people to be trained for employment as a farm business manager.”
Mr Anderson said most students enrolled in these two courses were primarily women, “our next
generation of farm managers who want to get more farm business experience to work on the family property”, and of the overall enrolments about 40 people were studying the Certificate IV course through distance education.
Mr Anderson said half the college’s graduates from the Certificate IV and the Advanced Diploma found employment at stock and station agencies, a quarter went onto university, and another quarter found immediate work on a farm.
“Our Certificate III in Agriculture is also popular, it’s a trainee course with an equal balance of males and females who want to leave school and get a qualification,” he said.
Mr Anderson said there was also an increase in the number of Certificate IV Wool Classing students and Certificate II in Shearing.
He said the part-time wool classing course had 25 students enrolled while the shearing instructors were gearing up for 80 students in multiple two-week blocks to come through their shearing sheds.
In July of this year, State Minister for Education Adrian Piccoli and Minister for Primary Industries Katrina Hodgkinson announced an independent study into ensuring agricultural education and training efforts met future industry needs.
A report will be handed to both ministers by June 2013.
At the time, Ms Hodgkinson said agriculture contributed $9 billion to the NSW economy each year and Mr Piccoli said a sustainable and innovative farming sector was critical, with an equipped, educated, trained and qualified workforce.
