• More than 110 high school agriculture and primary industry teachers converge at Charles Sturt
• The Agricultural Teachers Professional Development Conference was held at Charles Sturt in Wagga Wagga from Monday 14 to Wednesday 16 October
• Participants enhanced their skills and knowledge to pass on to the next generation of the agricultural sector

Charles Sturt University is helping to secure the future of the agriculture industry by educating those shaping the minds of the next generation of workers and industry professionals.

Charles Sturt is hosting the Agricultural Teachers Professional Development Conference at the University in Wagga Wagga from Monday 14 to Wednesday 16 October.

The conference will see 110 agriculture and primary industry teachers from 70 schools across NSW, Victoria and the ACT converge for the event.

The professional development conference will enhance the skills and knowledge of participating teachers and includes interactive learning sessions, on-campus farm and facilities tours, business enterprise tours, research best practices, keynote presentations from academics and industry experts and an industry trade expo with more than 20 exhibitors.

This program is approved by the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) for 18 hours of professional development.

The conference is aimed at equipping high school agriculture teachers with the latest educational tools, knowledge and industry connections.

It also aligns with Charles Sturt’s missions to address the nation’s agricultural workforce shortage by ensuring quality education and professional development for those teaching the next generation of professionals.

Executive Dean of the Charles Sturt Faculty of Science and Health Professor Megan Smith said educators will gain new insights that can be applied in their classrooms, as agriculture teachers are the key influencers for students considering an agriculture career.

“Charles Sturt University is committed to building a strong pipeline of future professionals in the agriculture sector through quality tertiary education,” she said.

“We want to promote the diverse range of careers in agriculture. It is so much more than farming and on-farm jobs. The agriculture sector is about science, technology and data.”

Professor Smith said Charles Sturt is continually producing industry-changing research and has state-of-the-art facilities for students. She said University staff are best equipped to teach high school educators about students’ potential career and study options.

“Charles Sturt wanted to play an active role in developing and addressing the agriculture workforce challenge by linking regional and industry partners with high school agriculture teachers,” she said.

“We wanted to provide a networking opportunity and act as the conduit for sharing knowledge and educational resources.

“We want to increase students’ awareness and aspiration to consider Charles Sturt as a first choice for agricultural, animal science and veterinary science degrees after they finish high school.”

Agriculture is among the most popular subjects in the Charles Sturt School of Agricultural, Environmental and Veterinary Sciences in Wagga Wagga.

Enrolments increased from 2020 to 2024 by 13 per cent for the Bachelor of Agricultural Business Management, by 42 per cent for the Bachelor of Agriculture and 27 per cent for the Bachelor of Agricultural Science.

Charles Sturt is also leading the country for graduate employment for the seventh year, according to the Good Universities Guide, with 87 per cent of the University’s agriculture and environment students gaining full-time employment within four months of graduating.

Keynote speakers at the event come from Charles Sturt University, Hutcheon and Pearce, Pairtree Intelligence, Primary Industries Education Foundation Australia, Food Agility CRC, Zetifi and Select Carbon.

Participants will be taken on tours of Charles Sturt’s Global Digital Farm, cellar door, vineyard and winery, Feedlot of the Future, Rhizolysimeter and drought resilience farmlets. There will also be demonstrations and tours by Bidgee Strawberries and Cream and by Hutcheon and Pearce (Wagga Wagga).

The event is sponsored by Bralca, PIEFA, AgriFutures Australia, Wine Australia and Meat and Livestock Australia.