The primary sector has complained for many years that schools and careers advisers were treating the sector as a depository for students with little motivation and few prospects.
But there were signs change was afoot, perhaps driven by the Government’s goal of doubling the value of exports by 2020 and forecasts the primary sector needed 53,000 more workers by 2025.
Among the initiatives were an increased number of schools offering agricultural subjects in their curriculums, the launch of educational farms and the use of primary sector-initiated teaching resources.
The common theme was selling primary sector careers as offering more than jobs on farms and orchards.
St Pauls Collegiate in Hamilton had launched an agribusiness course and attracted 50 schools to a conference on the subject later this year.
It hoped the subject could be offered in 100 schools, both urban and rural, within a few years.
The Red Meat Profit Partnership had developed an NCEA-accredited programme for primary and secondary students to understand the primary sector and to promote career opportunities.
DairyNZ operated the Find a Farmer and Rosie’s Education programmes as well as Owl Farm at St Peter’s, Cambridge, and was about to launch a booklet promoting dairy sector careers.
Owl Farm was occasionally opened to the public.
The kiwifruit and avocado industries had launched the ME programme that allowed students to study elements of the industries as part of English, statistics, biology and environmental studies at NCEA level.
In Auckland, Mount Albert Grammar ran a central city farm while several primary sector bodies were working with Manukau Institute of Technology in a project called Primary Auckland.
Young Farmers chief executive Terry Copeland said Primary Auckland was designed to find ways to get young Maori and Pacifica people into training for primary sector careers.
“If we work together we can access a great labour pool.”
A year-long trial of St Paul’s Collegiate-initiated agribusiness secondary school subjects was already paying dividends with 350 students from 10 schools enrolled and increased numbers of school leavers studying related subjects at university.
St Paul’s deputy principal Peter Hampton said 10 schools were trialling agribusiness this year but next year it would be available widely and he hoped would be picked up by 100 schools within a few years.
Hampton said the idea was to encourage bright and capable students to study primary sector-related subjects but it was also in response to job prospects.
Unlike traditional primary sector subjects, the agribusiness course covered all aspects of primary sector production focused on four strands: agri-science, agri-marketing, agri-management and finance and agri-innovation.
“We did an analysis of ag-hort and it only went to the farmgate.
“There is nothing wrong with that but unfortunately in schools ag-hort hasn’t had a very good reputation.
“It is seen as a lesser subject. It is not but it is seen that way.”
Hampton said students had studied future-proofing businesses, manipulating organisms and growing the value of products.
This year 102 years 12 and 13 pupils at St Paul’s were studying agribusiness, of which 40 were girls.
In 2013 two school leavers from St Paul’s studied an agricultural course at tertiary level but for each of the last two years that had grown to 25 after studying the course at secondary level.
Research five years ago found 53% of college parents worked in the agri-sector and many were asking why the subject was not taught.
The Red Meat Profit Partnership teaching resource was trialled in 10 primary and 16 secondary school last year and was designed to help students learn more about the sector and promote awareness of career opportunities.
John Bradfield, the head of mathematics at St Hilda’s Collegiate in Dunedin, said he used the resource in the teaching of statistics.
“We are always looking for material like this.
“There is a lot of depth to the data provided, including around stock.
“We use data such as lamb weights, dates and single and multiple births,” he said.
Additional resources were available for science and English.
Mount Albert Grammar’s 8.1ha central city farm and orchard not only served students studying agribusiness but also provided a farm experience for visiting city school children.
It had a horticultural unit including a citrus orchard, ran six dairy cows milked in a two-bale walk-through shed, 30 sheep, 12 beef cattle, a small piggery and chickens.
Who’s doing what
St Paul’s Collegiate in Hamilton has developed agribusiness as an NCEA levels two and three subject.
The Red Meat Profit Partnership has developed a NZQA-approved programme aimed at engaging primary and secondary school pupils in farming.
Primary Auckland is a pan-industry initiative with Manukau Institute of Technology to encourage Maori and Pacifica students to consider primary sector careers.
Mount Albert Grammar operates an 8.1ha pastoral and horticulture farm in central Auckland.
DairyNZ operates Find a Farmer and Rosie’s Education programmes, as well as Owl Farm for education and public open days.
Kiwifruit and avocado growers have launched the Me Programme providing resources for schools.
