Agriculture is the most diverse job market of any sector in the economy with outstanding growth opportunities in an increasingly prosperous global market that values safe, ethical and sustainable produce. This growth and other structural opportunities bring with them interesting future workforce opportunities and changes.
Your Career in Agriculture
FarmReady Hub
The Rural Jobs and Skills Alliance (RJSA) and FarmReady Hub have partnered to provide agriculture jobseekers with a centralised ‘hub’ of information, providing relevant information about regional Queensland, government training, and employment initiatives, as well as a link between job seekers, and employers.
The website also offers a comprehensive online accreditation program for jobseekers looking to enter the Australian agriculture sector.
The Pre-Induction Micro-Credential program allows prospective agriculture employees to obtain a FarmReady Card that prepares them ‘hit the ground running’ for work on farm.
This Micro-Credentialing Pilots Program project is supported and funded by the Queensland Government.
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FarmReady for farmers
FarmReady benefits farmers by simplifying the business hiring process and streamlines the transfer of information from workers to farmers, employment agencies and contractors.
It increases the chances of success in finding valuable employees who have demonstrated their commitment to working in agriculture and see you as an employer of choice.
The program offers a skills passport for jobseekers to include their licence details, permits, letters of offer, and other qualifications thereby allowing farmers to satisfy the necessary employment administrative requirements.
By asking new workers to be a FarmReady Cardholders, farm businesses will receive these benefits for free as well as being proactive in the care of their employees and industry.
Top tips for finding farm workersDownloadConnect with agricultural job seekersDownload -
FarmReady for jobseekers
The FarmReady Hub will lead you the right way into Agriculture, linking you to employment options, regions, job types, careers, services and information.
FarmReady Hub is designed to take the guesswork out of farm work by ensuring new employees arriving at the farm gate are correctly prepared for an agricultural job by completing the FarmReady Card training.
This training helps you stay in control of your wages, safety, health, clothing, food, job applications and your first day at work. Your digital FarmReady Card is your proof to employers that you really are ‘farm-ready’.
Your FarmReady membership also gives you access to the digital Skills Passport where you can keep your employment history, certificates and licences.
Use the FarmReady platform to submit your job application, letter of offer, or employment paperwork with an understanding of specific rural workplace health and safety and biosecurity requirements.
Take the guesswork out of farm work with a FarmReady Card, and plan your agriculture adventure!
Pathways to agriculture
It is an exciting time to be part of the agriculture sector as it provides opportunities for people with a mixture of skills and abilities. Your career in agriculture can also be rewarding. You can contribute to feeding the world, managing the environment, managing future energy sources, and maintaining biodiversity.
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‘Your Career in Agriculture’ video
We have worked closely with Queensland’s diverse agricultural industries to produce the ‘Your Career in Agriculture’ video and provide a snapshot of the endless possibilities agriculture provides.
The ‘Your Future in Agriculture’ video highlights the importance of food, fibre, forestry and renewable fuel production, and the endless opportunities and diverse career pathways available in agriculture.
The video is a useful tool for teachers to communicate, and students and parents to discover the exciting and evolving roles available in the agriculture sector.
Discover the endless possibilities a career in agriculture could provide you below.
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Should you look into a career in agriculture?
There are so many possibilities out there for you. If you want to explore your possibilities in agriculture, Career Harvest can help you discover the right fit for you.
Rural Skills Australia has also produced a guide that can help you in your consideration. The guide seeks to assist students and job seekers, new entrants to the industry, parents and educators, counsellors and employers. It provides useful resources, career descriptions, interactive displays, education and training options to highlight career pathways in rural and related industries.
While Your Career also has resources that can help you navigate your career options for a future in agriculture.
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Careers in Agriculture Magazine
Take a look at the new Careers in Agriculture Magazine
The Careers in Agriculture Magazine provides school teachers, students and parents with real-life career stories from youth working at the forefront of the sector, as well as go-to information and career advice.
This initiative of QFF and the Queensland Government in conjunction with the Rural Jobs and Skills Alliance (RJSA), is a resource that raises awareness of the many available and exciting agriculture and aquaculture careers, education, training and job opportunities for young people.
Check out the video of the launch! HERE
You can access the resource HERE or download the Careers in Agriculture postcard to assist with promoting the resource.
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Other resources and programs for schools
Other resources for schools
There are numerous educational resources that are currently available for teachers and schools. These resources can be used for all ages to teach different aspects of Queensland’s primary industries.
Programs supporting schools
The School to Industry Partnership Program (SIPP) engages school students of all ages with agriculture and shows them the important role it plays in our lives. SIPP currently works with the gateway Schools to Agribusiness with funding from the Department of Employment, Small Business and Training.
The program’s primary aims are to:
- Show primary school students where their food and fibre comes from; and
- Expose high school students to the wealth of
career opportunities in agriculture and related industries.
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Apprenticeships, traineeships and other training
Free TAFE courses for under 25s in high priority areas
Get qualified without the cost, with the Queensland Government’s Free TAFE for under 25s program. Choose from a range of courses in high-priority areas and kick start your career with an industry-recognised qualification
If you are interested in becoming an apprentice/trainee
An apprenticeship can be a great way to gain practical, hands on experience while you are training. If you are interested in becoming an apprentice/trainee, Apprenticeships Info and Australian Apprenticeships and My Skills have plenty of information available to help you get started.
There are many traineeship and apprenticeship qualifications available. Find the right one here. Find out about out more about TABMA and the options and support they provide.
For employers looking at employing a trainee or apprentice
This is a great way to get a skilled worker into your business while earning incentives in the process. The Queensland Agricultural Workforce Network (QAWN) has put together a resource that can help an employer in finding an apprentice.
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Universities
Agriculture as a discipline is more than simply growing crops or animal husbandry. In the modern world, this discipline can often include business, geography, sociology and conservation.
Studies in agriculture combine these factors to find a solution to difficult problems including environmental challenges, the pressures caused by overpopulation and food shortages that concern governments and global corporations.
Adoption of new technologies across the agriculture sector will require a combination of skills. The agribusiness sector is recruiting a new generation of technologically savvy graduates as the sector provides more modernised and diverse career pathways for young generations.
Check out some of the Universities delivering agriculture studies in Queensland.
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Looking for a job or work experience?
Are you a recent graduate? You might be interested in our Agriculture Extension Work Placement Program.
Cotton Gap provides opportunities for school leavers to experience a year, working in unique rural and remote regions of Australia in mixed and varied farming enterprises.
GAP year is a new initiative from Growcom, the peak body for horticulture in Queensland. We want to give young Aussies the chance to explore regional Queensland, meet like-minded people, and partner with ethical employers for a year like no other.
QFF does not provide job search or employment assistance. However, we have a number of useful links and phone numbers that can connect you with job search websites.