Students choose Ag for dynamic future

This year, 58 new students have decided to undertake the Bachelor of Agricultural Science program, with about 10 or more additional students expected to arrive in the second semester.

University of Adelaide's Department of Agricultural Science head Jason Able said for the past three years, new student enrolments had remained steady.

"Last year we had 68 and the year before it was 67 - so we have seen a slight increase each year," he said.

"There is a desire from the next generation of learners to understand how we can produce more food with the same or less amount of resources, and the impacts that climate change are going to have 10 to 20 years from now.

"The split in our commencing enrolments confirms agriculture is also appealing to more than just country-based students."

Professor Able said a decade ago, the program weighed heavily towards country-based enrolments.

He said this was a positive change and reflected a renewed desire from students to know more about how food was produced and the security of its production.

Across all year levels for the past three years, the program attracted 220 students this year, 175 in 2019 and 206 in 2018.

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The COVID-19 outbreak has led to some changes for the students, with face-to-face contact ceased.

Lectures and tutorials are being delivered online and the assessment of attendance at classes and tutorials will be removed.

The university will remain open, but is committed to taking the correct actions to ensure the safety and wellbeing of the community, Prof Able said.

Adelaide University Agricultural Student Association first-year representative Warren Gore has an interest in renewable farming and decided to study a Bachelor of Agricultural Science to help secure Australia's food supply.

"We seem to be ruining soil health and wasting water sources, so we need to try and produce more food from less land," he said.

Mr Gore grew up near Hahndorf, but pursued a career as an electrician for 10 years before choosing to study this year.

"I finished Urrbrae Agricultural High School and completed an electrical apprenticeship," he said.

"I hope it opens doors and gets me at the forefront of modern and emerging technology."

While the past few weeks have been a bit of a "rollercoaster" with changes to course structures, he says this has demonstrated how vital agriculture remains.

"Our lecturers have pointed out we'll be going into a world where we will have to be problem solvers and to look at this that way," he said.

"There are going to be plenty of jobs out there."

Shannon Manouge, also a AUASA first-year representative, said growing up at Humpty Doo, NT, "surrounded by rodeos, cattle and horses" inspired her enrolment.

"Although I am not from a farming background, hopefully this degree will get my foot in the door," she said.

"I'm more fascinated in the livestock side, but I'm also fascinated in the sustainable agricultural overall broad aspects of it.

"I'm keeping the door wide open, whatever opportunity I can get, I'll take.

"I want to eventually run my own property and be my own boss."

Ms Manouge said the university had been helpful during the switch to online learning, with a lot of support and resources, but she looked forward to returning to practical classes one day.

"Food is always a necessity in life, and there is always going to be a form of ag," she said.

TafeSA increased its intake of new student enrolments into agricultural programs by more than 100 students last year to 2499 and this year, enrolments have remained consistent with this amount.

They are also working on new delivery models to ensure vocational training can continue.

Primary Industries education manager Wayne Sims said 2020 registrations were still growing.

"The enrolment numbers across tafeSA's agriculture, wool and shearing programs are consistent with previous years - we expect it to rise slightly in coming months too," he said.

"While there was a slight dip in 2018 because of drought conditions, there has been an increase in interest in courses since that time and tafeSA has introduced new courses in consultation with industry."

In 2019, a Certificate II and III in Rural Operations was introduced in response to industry calls for greater flexibility in training.

"We have also re-established a Certificate IV in Wool Classing which has received solid interest," Mr Sims said.

"TafeSA continues to support the agriculture industry delivering training to industry, communities and schools and also stepped up training to support bushfire-ravaged areas including Kangaroo Island."