• Almost 100 students from Barker College in Sydney visit Charles Sturt agriculture and animal and veterinary science facilities in Wagga Wagga

Australia’s largest cohort of Higher School Certificate (HSC) agriculture students from Sydney have visited Charles Sturt University in Wagga Wagga to learn more about their higher education and career options after school.

Almost 100 students from Barker College in Hornsby, Sydney, visited Charles Sturt in Wagga Wagga as part of a two-day program of agriculture and animal and veterinary science immersive activities.

Students arrived on Thursday 3 April to a welcome dinner at Bidgee Strawberries and Cream.

Students then spent a full day at Charles Sturt in Wagga Wagga to rotate between three workshops before lunch – a sheep digestive tract dissection, soil science ‘Pit Talk at the Charles Sturt Soil Pit’, and The Future of Agriculture Through Data and Technology.

After lunch, students visited the University’s Red Meat Innovation Centre, the Lamb Feedlot, Opti Weigh and Swarm Farm Robotics and participated in a pasture assessment.

Head of the Charles Sturt School of Agricultural, Environmental and Veterinary Sciences in Wagga Wagga Professor Hayley Randle said the University is committed to supporting HSC students continue their studies beyond secondary school.

“Charles Sturt University is committed to working with schools to address the Australian agricultural workforce shortage and increase skilled professionals in the industry,” she said.

“We want to partner with schools to address the current myth that agriculture is only farming and to show prospective students that it is a dynamic and rewarding career option.”

Professor Randle said immersive and practical programs, aligned with the syllabus, are aimed at inspiring and encouraging more students to the agricultural sector.

This is the first time Barker College students have visited a Charles Sturt campus. The visit was initiated after the Agricultural Teachers Professional Development Conference in Wagga Wagga in October 2024.

Head of Agriculture at Barker College Mr Scott Graham said visiting Charles Sturt in Wagga Wagga was a great opportunity for students to see where agriculture is heading and what they could be a part of.

“We are excited to visit the Charles Sturt Wagga Wagga campus with 94 of our Year 12 agriculture students to let them experience what university life and an agriculture degree looks like,” he said.

“Wagga Wagga offers the perfect place for students to understand what career opportunities there are in the agriculture sector, both on and off farm.”