The head of the nation's peak farming body has highlighted the critical role TAFE NSW will play in training the next generation of agriculture professionals, as the region's farmers enjoy one of their best seasons on record.
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National Farmers' Federation (NFF) president Fiona Simson said ensuring the booming agriculture industry had the workforce to meet future demand was a centerpiece of its recently released 2030 Roadmap, which outlined the NFF's vision to grow the agricultural workforce by 25 per cent over the next decade.
"Vocational education is key to nurturing agriculture's future workforce and TAFE NSW is at the forefront of vocational education," Ms Simson said.
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"TAFE NSW offers students an invaluable combination of theory and practical experience, which means graduates are ready to hit the ground running. "
Her comments come on the back of a record year for farmers with National Agriculture Day on November 19, showcasing the increasingly diverse and rewarding career opportunities available in the industry.
The Australian Bureau of Agriculture, Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES) has released data predicting the farming sector would reach a historically high value of $73 billion in 2021-22.
And a recent study commissioned by Hort Innovation predicted harvest labour alone could be short a staggering 24,000 casual workers by 2022.
Nowra woman Caitlin Edmunds, 23, ditched a career in retail to pursue her dream of working with animals, and is about to finish a Certificate III in Agriculture (Dairy) at TAFE NSW Nowra.
She's already working as a dairy hand at Wal-Jasper Holsteins in Jaspers Brush and said the hands-on skills learned at TAFE NSW had given her a flying start into a career in dairy.
"TAFE NSW was such an awesome learning opportunity for me and helped me become a better employee and gain a deeper understanding of dairy operations," Ms Edmunds said.
"It wasn't just the hands-on skills like tractor work that TAFE NSW helped, but also things like animal health and medications."
TAFE NSW Agribusiness Head of Skills Team Scott Glyde said as Australia's leading provider of vocational education and training, TAFE NSW was uniquely positioned to arm locals with the hands-on, practical skills to power the agriculture industry for decades to come.
"TAFE NSW offers a wide range of courses with practical experience for working in agriculture, focusing on food and animal production, and farm management," Mr Glyde said.
"The industry is incredibly diverse and there are so many opportunities to make a difference in a rewarding career."
To learn more about enrolling in an agriculture course at TAFE NSW, call 13 16 01 or visit www.tafensw.edu.au.
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