A graduate and student of the agricultural science program at Charles Sturt University (CSU) are doing their bit to encourage young people to pursue careers in agriculture.

 

Graduating with a Bachelor of Agricultural Science from CSU in Wagga Wagga in 2011, Ms Hollie Baillieu, from Exeter, is now Staff Liaison Manager at Australian Year of the Farmer and chairperson of the Young Farmers’ Council at the NSW Farmers’ Association. She was awarded CSU’s Agricultural Science Medal for 2011. 

 

Ms Eliza Star, from Carrathool, is completing her first year of the same degree and is part of the national Horizon Scholarship program, a Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation scheme to support the ‘next generation of agricultural leaders’. Read more on CSU News here.  

 

Both women tell of their love of agriculture in the inaugural edition, Science – Taking You Places.  The new magazine was produced by the Primary Industry Centre for Science Education (PICSE)  as part of a $125 000 federal government grant to encourage young people to pursue a career in agriculture.

 

The magazine was launched in September by former Deputy Prime Minister, the Hon. Tim Fischer AO, at the AgriFood Skills Australia National Conference in Sydney.

 

Ms Star said, "I was involved with several agricultural conferences from the opportunities within my Horizon Scholarship, including PICSE’s Youth Round Table Conference in Canberra. From this experience, I was asked to appear in the magazine.”

 

CSU is a PICSE partner university. The Centre aims to engage universities, their regional communities and local primary industries to attract students into tertiary science and to increase the number of skilled professionals in agribusiness and research institutions.

 

PICSE science education officer based at CSU in Wagga Wagga, Ms Emma Wordsworth said, “The Centre is delighted both Hollie and Eliza came on board to support our program to highlight to school students the science-based careers available in the primary industry sector.

 

“In only its second year at Charles Sturt University, we had 80 high school students participating in the annual Science Investigation Awards last month. This is an event that gives students a chance to work as a scientist and then interact with real scientists about their research.

 

“We are also gearing up for our five-day Industry Placement Scholarship camp next month to showcase the science based careers in primary industries. Up to 25 Riverina students from as far away as Barham will participate. Many of the 13 students involved in the 2011 camp at Charles Sturt University have gone on to study animal and agricultural science or will join us next year.” Read more about PICSE’s Industry Placement Scholarship program at CSU here.