SA teachers learn about careers in agriculture

The professional development initiative - More than Gumboots and Tractors - was launched by AgCommunicators, the GRDC and SAGIT.

The 25 attendees visited the University of Adelaide's Waite Campus where they had a look at plant breeding facilities and why it is important to produce a high-quality food product.

In the afternoon they travelled to Inner Harbour to tour Joe White Maltings' malt brewing processing plant.

Throughout the day and at dinner that night, the group heard from industry professionals and networked with invited guests.

GRDC program manager - capacity building Kathleen Allan said it was an opportunity for career advisers and teachers who would not normally have access to the different careers available in the grain industry and agriculture.

AgCommunicators conducted a poll of more than 50 SA teacher and career adviser perceptions of the SA grain industry.

The poll found that 25 per cent had little knowledge of career pathways into agriculture and 32pc had only a fair knowledge.

"This indicates there is work to be done in educating career advisers of the actual careers available," Ms Allan said.

"There is the perception that a career in agriculture simply means farming - we are working to dispel this myth and profile the broad range of careers from research to agronomy, food science to grain marketing, logistics to communication.

Seaton High School Year 11 and Year 12 biology and maths teacher Bill Parousis said he had gained a lot from the day and now had a better appreciation for the different aspects of agricultural science.

"Lots of students don't think of agriculture as a career choice and wouldn't have thought about going to Waite, but now I can point them in that direction," he said.

"Waite was really good with my biology background and the speakers in the morning opened my eyes as I'm not a course counsellor.

"Now I've seen the sites available to students interested in a particular area, I can suggest where they go."

Mr Parousis said students would often ask 'Why we do need to know this?' and he now felt better-equipped with examples of real-world applications to what they were learning.

Kadina Memorial High School apprenticeship broker for all schools on Yorke Peninsula, Jackie Fairlie, said she was keen to get back to school to speak to other teachers and students about the day.

"I'm almost 60 years old and I wish I'd seen this earlier," she said. "It's amazing and it should be young people who get to see this too."