Fields of options

By Lucy Hood

POSTGRADUATES

Career opportunities for agriculture graduates are continuing to grow as Australia increases its agricultural production to meet rising domestic and international consumer demand.

Positions are rapidly appearing for those trained in agricultural sciences as well as supporting fields, such as business, finance, engineering, sales and marketing.

But experts say society’s perception of the industry needs to change to boost graduate levels and fill the increasing number of jobs available.

University of Adelaide Agriculture, Food and Wine School head Professor Roger Leigh says there is an impression among people that agriculture is a “sunset industry”.

“Somehow, there is a view that it’s old-fashioned and there is nothing new in it, but nothing is further from the truth,” he says.

“There was also a negative perception that came from the drought that the agriculture industry was in deep problems. But in fact, because of agriculture research, the productivity of the industry has improved despite the drought.

“It is a highly technological industry in which research is improving farming, productivity and decreasing the impact on the environment.”

Professor Leigh says opportunities for agriculture graduates are endless. “Agriculture students can go into the media, banking, business, the food industry… if you looked at the name of the degree, you wouldn’t think the options were there but graduates are able to do many things,” he says.

“When you study an agriculture degree, you learn all sorts of different subjects.

“It’s not just about farming.

“You need to understand climate, the different crops and how to grow them, how to manage disease as well as business.”

Research conducted by the Australian Council of Deans of Agriculture in 2008 shows universities are producing about 800 graduates a year in all agriculture subjects, which include viticulture and livestock science.

Further research by the ACDA and Rimfire Resources, however, shows the number of agriculture jobs for graduates advertised is about 6000 a year.

“The job opportunities far exceed the number of graduates per annum,” Professor Leigh says.

“There are no problems with graduates getting jobs.”

At the University of Adelaide, 187 students completed one of its 24 agriculture-related programs last year at the Waite and Roseworthy campuses.

The most popular programs were Bachelor of Science (Animal Science) with 20 graduates, the Bachelor of Science (Agricultural Science) and the PhD in Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences with 19 graduates each, the Bachelor or Agriculture, 15 graduates, and the Master of Agricultural Business, 11 graduates.

Lucas Group consultant Danielle Becker says agribusiness graduates in particular are in the “box seat”, with the average starting salary exceeding those in other disciplines by as much as 30 per cent.

Ms Becker says the industry and education sectors need to work together to match the supply of graduates to the burgeoning calls for their services.

“We need to promote agribusiness in the high-school curriculum in time for students to get a feel for it before senior high-school subject choices are made,” she says.

“Universities need to follow with the promotion of flexible study options targeted to both metropolitan and regional students.

“Regional Australia, too, has a part to play in actively promoting the benefits of the lifestyle and community involvement which so many have found attractive in our rural and near-rural areas.”

Dion Bennett, 25, from Athelstone, has completed a Bachelor of Agricultural Science (Honours) at the University of Adelaide and is in the final year of his PhD looking at drought and heat tolerance in wheat.

He also works part-time as a research officer with Australian Grain Technologies.

“It is recognised the world over there is a real shortage of agricultural graduates coming through so there will be plenty of job opportunities for me, whether in Australia or overseas,” he says. “That’s one of the attractions – that they were so many jobs out there.”

Article from The Advertiser, June, 2010.