CREATING capable farmers of the future has become a priority of the Victorian Government, announcing the Secondary Schools Agriculture Fund (SSAF) last week with the aim of helping students embark on a career in the primary industries sector.
The $5.5 million fund will support students to transition into agricultural careers, raising awareness of the opportunities in the agriculture sector and uplifting agricultural teaching capability to offer more opportunities within schools for students to develop skills.
Tyrrell College in Sea Lake already has an agriculture program in place, and seen firsthand the benefits of such a program for students and the agricultural industry.
“The ability for our students to leave school with a Certificate II in agriculture is huge,” Tyrrell College careers practitioner Danni Ryan said.
“For the students that are doing the agriculture/horticulture subject, this is a great way for them to leap into their university degree knowing good practices behind what farming is about.”
Working in partnership with Longerenong College near Horsham, Tyrrell College implement their agriculture program right from prep all the way to VET and VCE, looking at everything from animal lifecycles, to grinding up wheat to make meals from their own flour, to cropping a 200 acre block using a tractor with the latest farming technology.
“The kids come out of this program readymade,” Ms Ryan said.
“We hope that we are preparing them for farming of the future.”
The SSAF funding will be available across two streams. $4.5 million is available for Schools and Place-based activities, allowing secondary schools and local organisations to invest in boosting pathways to agricultural careers, while $1 million will be available to Tech Schools to increase the delivery of online and outreach agriculture technology programs.
Minister for Education James Merlino believes this funding will help make the future of Victoria’s agriculture sector a bright one.
“We’re proud to be supporting more Victorian students to get involved in the modern, growing industry while they are still at school,” Mr Merlino said.
“This program is all about making sure our students have real-world opportunities to make the most of existing and emerging agriculture and horticulture career pathways.”
Applications for the SSAF fund are now open, and will close June 24. For more information, visit vic.gov.au/secondary-schools-agriculture-fund.
