December 5, 2014
The State Government has released a new Blueprint for Agricultural Education in Queensland aimed at encouraging more young people to consider a career on the land.
Agriculture Minister John McVeigh said the blueprint would help set the direction of agricultural education from primary schools to universities, to create a highly skilled workforce.
“It’s time we redefined the image of agricultural careers to shift the perception that the industry is only about ‘getting your hands dirty,” Mr McVeigh said.
“Agriculture offers a many career pathways in areas such as business, science and supply-chain management.”
He said his department had been working closely with the agricultural sector to review its future training needs.
“Industry would like to see agriculture courses become more commonplace in schools and students of all ages encouraged to expand their interest in agriculture,” Mr McVeigh said.
He said workforce development and the delivery of skills had been hampered in the past “by duplication and inefficient use of resources”.
“We want to help to facilitate better links between the education sector and industry, as well as support high-quality teachers of agricultural subjects that meet current and emerging needs in the sector,” Mr McVeigh said.
“This blueprint will help prepare young people embarking on a career in agriculture, while also upskilling the existing agricultural workforce to support growth across the sector.”
An action plan for Queensland based on the blueprint will now be developed in consultation with the Industry Skills Advisory Group.
- Download a copy of the Blueprint (1.02Mb PDF)
