Did you know there is so much more to Agriculture than farming? To highlight this fact, only 30% of jobs in the Agricultural sector are ‘on the farm’. The remaining 70% are jobs exist to support one of Australia’s most vital industries. Agronomists, geneticists, research scientists, nutritionists, engineers, technologists, transport and logistics managers, water and natural resource managers, agribusiness managers, export marketers, and policy makers all play their role to keep food on the tables of Australians and other consumers all over the world. Currently, the industry is desperate for workers across all areas. It has been reported that there are six jobs waiting to be filled for each graduate with an Agricultural degree from an Australian university! In addition, there are plenty of entry level jobs for school leavers as well as apprenticeships and traineeships just waiting to be filled.
To learn more about this exciting industry, lead Agriculture teacher Dr Steven Polyak was one of 80 delegates to attend the National Association of Agriculture Educators Conference held in Victor Harbour in January. The theme of the meeting was “Think global, act local” with an emphasis on sustainable farming practices. Experts from a wide range of industries shared their knowledge about all aspects of animal and plant production, water and land management and agribusiness. Highlights included visits to various primary producers across the Fleurieu Peninsula, including a robotic dairy. Water and land conservation endeavours were also showcased including work of The Folktree Project to rehabilitate 54 ha of ex-industrial land near Carrickalinga driven by conservationist and recent South Australian of the Year Tim Jarvis. This conference reaffirmed that the future of Agriculture is exciting, with a wide range of fulfilling careers in this booming industry.
Dr Steven Polyak
Teacher of Biology, Agricultural Science, Medical Research, University Studies
