Agricultural research industry calls for more young people
6/1/2018
Dr James Hunt is the co-ordinator of the Bachelor of Ag Sciences at Latrobe University sees big challenges ahead in the area of food security. This is compounded by the lack of new blood coming into the area of research science.
Dr James Hunt is the co-ordinator of the Bachelor of Ag Sciences at Latrobe University sees big challenges ahead in the area of food security. This is compounded by the lack of new blood coming into the area of research science.The lack of up and coming talent is being felt across the board in the Ag sector. Dr Hunt sites a lack of funding and a general decline in awareness of the opportunities in the field since the 90’s.
One way Latrobe is looking at attracting the next generation of Agricultural Researchers is via the recently opened AgriBio research centre at Bundoora. This has proved a boon to budding Agricultural Scientist Amabel Grinter.
The 21-year-old, from a Cobram dairy farm in Victoria’s north, graduated with a Bachelor of Agricultural Science degree this year.
Amabel said she is planning a career in the dairy industry as a nutritionist. As part of the degree, she completed 12 weeks of work experience in Australia and Nepal.
Amabel plans to take a year travelling and learning best practice on farms around the world in preparation for her chosen vocation. While there are a lot of jobs in agronomy, there is some competition in the nutrition field.
However, according to Dr Hunt, this is the exception. The feedback he has been getting from his graduates is that there is plenty of work, with 100% of surveyed graduates in work within a year of completing their Bachelor of Agricultural Science.
As part of the degree revamp, La Trobe is introducing a field crop agronomy subject next year to give students more applied skills.
