Young People Farming the Future (YPFF)

The Secondary Schools Agriculture Fund supported Victorian secondary schools to deliver the agriculture skills of the future by supporting students to transition into modern careers in agriculture.

The Victorian Government committed $50 million over four years to the Agricultural College Modernisation Program (ACMP) to help more Victorians to pursue exciting careers in agriculture. Of this funding, $5.5 million was allocated to the Secondary Schools Agriculture Fund (SSAF).

The Local Government Areas the Murray Mallee LLEN supports, and the neighbouring LGAs, are significant contributors to the national agricultural and horticultural GDP.

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics the Swan Hill Rural City Council area alone generated Agricultural Production to the value of $760,139,509 in 2020-21 (shown in full in the infographic below). In keeping with the scale of this production across these LGAs the agriculture / horticulture industry is also the main or major employer.

With Agriculture Victoria funding through the Secondary Schools Agriculture Fund, we sought to shine a light on these incredible industries and career opportunities. The Young People Farming the Future (YPFF) initiative commenced in November 2022 and culminated in June 2024.

The Purpose of the Young People Farming the Future initiative was to:

• Research, co-design and implement a program designed to expose students to the diverse range of careers and career pathways within the Agriculture, Horticulture and related industries.

• Drive the development of VETiS programs which reflect the needs of local industries and which generate employment candidates with the required range of locally informed industry and employability skills.

• Develop a progression of Agriculture, Horticulture and related industries work exposure opportunities across all secondary year levels that becomes embedded long-term into the offerings for our local secondary students.

The first 3 months of delivery was dedicated to hearing from local students and the agriculture / horticulture and agribusiness industries in a process of co-design and research and development customised information resources. This co-design process was central in informing the events and experiences delivery program and development of resources for the Young People Farming the Future initiative.

A key event we delivered included the Murray Mallee Agriculture / Horticulture Careers Expo which was a huge success with over 350+ young people, community members, industry and local students from Swan Hill College, Tyrrell College Sea Lake, Manangatang P-12 College, Swan Hill Specialist School, Tooleybuc Central School, Balranald Central School, St Mary MacKillop College and St Mary’s Primary School in attendance.

Attendees were exposed to around 30 fantastic exhibitors on the day and information about career pathways, job options, study pathways, work experience, apprenticeships and traineeship opportunities that can assist them as they explore the breadth of amazing careers available across the Agriculture, Horticulture and the agribusiness sector.

We interviewed students on the day to gain an understanding of what they enjoyed most about the Ag/Hort Careers Expo.

Some addittional events and experiences delivered included the CQUniversity Agri-tech Education and Innovation, Ag/Hort Industry Tours, support to attend the Western Victorian Careers Expo and Wiru Drone Solutions Training Workshops.

Supporting these face-to-face activities a series of resources aimed at building student knowledge and exploring pathways into agriculture, horticulture and related industries sectors were custom created, ensuring relevance to the region.

YPFF ‘At a Glance’ Career Resources

A Career in the Agriculture / Horticulture Industry

We visited our local industry supporter Australian Farming Services with Mitchell Barkman from Mitchell Barkman Videography with the aim to capture the broad career pathways in the Ag/Hort industry.

With thousands of job opportunities and career pathway options within the Agriculture/Horticulture industry right on our very doorstep, why wouldn’t you explore a career in Agriculture!

Ag Champions Podcast

To finalise our Young People Farming the Future initiative and to further promote the breadth of Agriculture, Horticulture and Agri-business related career opportunities, the Murray Mallee LLEN team created an ‘Ag Champion Podcast’ mini series!

The podcast series consists of brief interviews with local ‘Ag Champions’ within our region where we will embark on a journey of discovery with industry professionals, exploring their unique experiences, challenges, and triumphs in navigating the agricultural landscape.

Tune in as we cultivate conversations that illuminate the diverse pathways that lead to success in the field of agriculture and uncover the stories behind the individuals shaping the future of agriculture, horticulture and agribusiness!

Over a span of almost 2 years the Young People Farming the Future initiative has increased exposure to, and understanding of, the breadth of careers across the agriculture, horticulture and agri-business sectors. The growth of these sectors across the region has the potential to create rewarding and lifelong careers for our young people.

For more information on the events and experiences we delivered which was supported by the Secondary Schools Agriculture Fund, which is funded by Agriculture Victoria as part of the Victorian Government’s four-year $50 million Agriculture College Modernisation Program, please check out our Young People Farming the Future Annual Report.