Opening the farm gate to diverse careers in agriculture

On this year’s AgDay, Friday, 19 November 2021, the National Farmers’ Federation (NFF) is challenging Australians to consider the career opportunities in agriculture and to embark on an #AgVenture.

“There is a job for everyone in agriculture – whether it’s riding the boundary fences of a Top End cattle station or breeding the next breakthrough wheat variety in an inner-city laboratory, Australians really can choose their own #AgVenture,” said NFF CEO Tony Mahar.

“The quintessential farm jobs that have in many ways defined agriculture are still there and new entrants are desperately needed. Jobs like shearers, roustabouts, station hands, header operators and stock truck drivers.

“And, there are many other jobs, lots of which can be city or country-based, that aren’t on-farm but which are vital in the farm supply chain. Careers in fields as diverse as finance, digital technology, science, marketing, trade and policy development,” said Mr Mahar.

At AgriFutures Australia, programs such as the AgriFutures Rural Women’s Award, AgriFutures Horizon Scholarship, are supporting the people driving our future rural industries and communities and equipping them with the skills they need for the future.

AgriFutures Australia, Manager, Communications & Capacity Building Angela Wakeman said the participants in these programs have diversified in the last ten years.

“We have Horizon Scholars that have never stepped foot on a farm but they want to pursue a career in agriculture because they see that the industry is so versatile and exciting.

“We have run placements for Scholars at the innovative poultry start-up MimicTec, the Google headquarters in San Francisco, and a crocodile farm tour in Papua New Guinea. It’s really not what you expect.

“The National Farmers’ Federation has laid down a bold vision for the industry to exceed $100 billion in farm gate output by 2030. To achieve this we are going to need to recruit people who have diverse skill sets. Our programs at AgriFutures Australia are working to address this,” said Ms Wakeman.

Now in its fourth year, this year’s AgDay will be different to previous years, with the COVID-19 pandemic ongoing. However, many of the same features remain.

Australians planning to host an AgDay event can register their event, big or small, at www.agday.org.au, and receive a special AgDay celebration pack.

And, we’re calling people already loving a career in agriculture, to share their story using the hashtags #AgVenture and #AgDayAU.

Across the AgriFutures Australia social media channels, we will showcase the breadth and depth of people who are playing a critical role in enhancing and developing our agricultural levied industries as well as those making a difference to the agricultural landscape, be it through innovation or new and emerging industries. The people who we are fortunate enough to be able to work with on a daily basis have fascinating career stories and we are excited to share with our networks the skills they have needed to have a successful career in agriculture.