Amy Cosby

Industry–school partnerships (ISPs) boast a range of positive outcomes for participants. Increasing students’ learning and career opportunities, improving school-to-work transitions and benefiting ...

This article explores the factors influencing Gippsland secondary school students’ career aspirations in agriculture, examining the role of perceptions of agriculture and agricultural careers, gender, parental occupation, and career role models. Utilising data from the Raising Aspirations and Careers Education in Agriculture Gippsland (RACE Gippsland) project, survey responses from 495 high school students were analysed using chi-square tests and Spearman’s rank-order correlations. Positive perceptions of agriculture significantly correlated with career interest, for both males and females. Gender and parental occupation in agriculture had no significant influence on students’ career choices and the presence of a career role model within the agricultural sector was a strong predictor of career interest. The research underscores the need for targeted interventions to improve agricultural literacy, enhance career exposure, and encourage student engagement in agricultural careers. It provides valuable insights into understanding the agricultural career aspirations of secondary school students. This research analyses factors impacting career aspirations of secondary school students within the agricultural sector, which is rare in the literature.

This research explores the key principles for successful agricultural industry school partnerships (ISPs) identified by educators and industry professionals who participated in an ISP program delivered as part of the Raising Aspirations in Careers Education Gippsland (RACE) project from 2021-2023. This qualitative case study analysed data collected from 59 primary and/or secondary educators and 61 agricultural industry professionals, including pre-program surveys, and pre- and post-program semi-structured interviews. Survey data provided demographic information analysed through frequency counts. Interview data was analysed thematically. Through an ecological system lens, this case study generated four key principles for successful agricultural ISPs, relating to: participant engagement, funding, planning, and frequency. To improve outcomes for all stakeholders, these principles can be considered by those participating in and designing similar ISPs.

Primary and secondary school students are the next generation workforce, however for them to choose the red meat processing sector as an employer, they must have a positive perception of the sector, and knowledge of the diverse career opportunities available. Teachers and parents are known key influencers of student career pathways, with teachers also determining the content included in teaching programs to meet curriculum outcomes. The aim of this project was to identify teachers’ current perceptions of the red meat processing industry and how content is incorporated into teaching. A national teacher survey on knowledge and perceptions of the red meat processing sector was developed and then completed by 97 teachers across Australia. The results identified that a connection with either people working in the sector or the presence and involvement of an abattoir in their local community significantly improved the perceptions of the sector compared to having no connection. There was also a significant relationship between teachers’ perceptions of the red meat processing sector and how they felt about careers in this sector. Secondary teachers who possessed an agricultural qualification and taught agriculture, STEM or Primary Industry subjects more broadly had more positive perceptions of the careers associated with the sector than their colleagues. However, there was a general lack of knowledge of what a career looks like in this sector, even by agriculture teachers. These findings provide an evidence base to draw upon for future development of a strategy to attract and retain a talented, diverse, and dedicated workforce in the red meat processing sector.

This article explores the level of agricultural literacy of first-year university students undertaking agriculture-related degrees in Australia. First-year university students undertaking their first degree in Agriculture, Agribusiness/Agricultural Economics, Animal Science, Environmental Science or general Science Australia-wide were asked to complete an online survey in 2023 to assess their level of agricultural literacy. This survey is based on the Judd-Murray Agricultural Literacy Instrument (JMALI). In the absence of a relevant Australian framework, JMALI was used as a validated instrument to measure agricultural literacy with slight modifications of the survey questions made to suit the Australian context. The results of the survey were explored through descriptive statistics to determine the frequency of responses and demographically characterise the respondents. Further analysis was conducted to explore the association between having studied agriculture in high school and the level of agricultural literacy. Only half of first-year university students studying an agriculture-related degree demonstrated a high level of agricultural literacy (score over 79.7% of the maximum score). Studying agriculture in high school had no effect on agricultural literacy. More generally, the results identified the need to reinforce and deepen the knowledge of technological, sustainability, market and economic aspects of the agricultural industry for those entering agriculture-related degrees.

The 3rd Symposium for Agricultural Educators (AgEd24) was held on the 6th & 7th February 2025 at the CQUniversity Australia Rockhampton campus. The previous issue (Vol. 33 No. 4) contained a series of articles focused on agricultural education research. The articles in this issue focus on agricultural workforce research including the integration of industry into education and training at a primary, secondary and tertiary level. Additionally, the role of continuous learning to develop the agricultural workforce was also explored. Authors McDonald, Eady, Corish, and Cosby addressed research on the co-design and implementation of extension projects that support farmers in workforce development. Specifically, this study discussed the design approach of the Cotton Research and Development Corporation (CRDC)-funded action-research project entitled “Managing Best Practices for Future Workforce Skills: The SHIFT Project.” The results indicated that soft skills are critical for labour adaptability in the Australian cotton industry. The authors suggested that the approach employed could be extrapolated to university students in agriculture-related fields to increase their employability. Agricultural industry-school partnerships were studied by O'Dea, Cosby, Manning, McDonald and Harreveld, as part of the Raising Aspirations in Careers Education Gippsland (RACE) program. In this study, the authors explored the principles of success of these partnerships through the lens of educators and industry professionals. To achieve that, a qualitative analysis was performed with data from surveys and interviews. The author identified that participant engagement, funding, planning, and frequency are the success principles for industry-school partnerships. This study provides useful information that could be considered for future interventions based on partnerships. Labeur, Hancock, Thompson and Dunston-Clarke addressed the topic of career choices in agriculture after graduation from tertiary programs in agriculture. The study focused on the effect of industry interactions during programs to foster participants' interest and employability. For this purpose, survey data were collected from undergraduate students in the Bachelor of Agriculture program at Murdoch University in 2023. The results indicated that students reported increased confidence and understanding of the sector through interactions with agricultural professionals. The importance of industry participation in the development of educational content and modules is also highlighted. The authors also emphasised the challenges of achieving continuity and coherence in content across diverse participation. Finally, it is recommended to improve the feedback system among students, educators, the university, and industry to consider changes in sector trends and ensure that graduates acquire the skills for a successful career in agriculture. In the section of curriculum development and innovation, Carter, Bennett, Ferns and Hawkins highlight the importance of developing technical and employability skills among graduate students to meet the challenges of increasingly complex job requirements in agriculture. Although universities have been incorporating transferable skills into their curricular and extracurricular designs, the authors note that how those capabilities can be compiled to all stakeholders, including students, has not yet been thoroughly addressed. This study identified areas of convergence, divergence, and tension, and presented information on employers' and students' perceptions of graduates' skills. The authors suggested that integrating electronic portfolios for students can be an alternative tool that allows them to digitally showcase their learning trajectory and contributes to their employability. Cosby, McDonald and Luke addressed labour shortage in agriculture. The article reviewed Vocational Educational Training (VET), formal apprenticeships and traineeships as viable career alternatives. The review included an overview of apprenticeship and traineeship in Australia, the need to further promote career paths in the Australian agricultural sector, and the operation of agricultural training programs in other countries. Finally, the authors recommended strategies to increase workforce capacity on Australian cotton and grains farms.

The 3rd Symposium for Agricultural Educators (AgEd24) was held on the 6th & 7th of February 2025 at the CQUniversity Australia Rockhampton campus. The symposium focused on four key areas: (1) Innovation in the classroom; (2) Improving the Agricultural Education Continuum; (3) Technology Enhanced Learning; and (4) Industry Engagement in Agriculture. This is the first of two special issues featuring research and practice presented at AgEd24, with articles in this issue focusing on agricultural education research with primary and secondary school teachers and higher education students. Manning, Colusso and Cosby identified teachers’ current perceptions of the red meat processing industry and how content is incorporated into teaching. The results show that having a connection with workers, or with the presence of an abattoir in their community, improved perceptions of the sector. Furthermore, the authors highlighted that a positive relationship between teachers' perceptions of the red meat processing sector with their opinions about career paths in this sector, although a general lack of knowledge about what a career in this sector entails was evident. The results of this study provided practical knowledge for developing strategies to attract and retain talented workers in the red meat processing sector. Manning, Menchon, Fogarty, Judd-Murray and Cosby explored the level of agricultural literacy among first-year university students pursuing agriculture-related degrees in Australia. Data was collected through an online survey based on the Judd-Murray Agricultural Literacy Instrument (JMALI). The authors studied the association between having studied agriculture in secondary school and the level of agricultural literacy. The results suggested that only half of the first-year university students pursuing an agriculture-related degree demonstrated a high level of agricultural literacy. Furthermore, studying agriculture in secondary school had no effect on agricultural literacy. These results highlight the need to strengthen and deepen knowledge of the technological, sustainability, market, and economic aspects of the agricultural sector among students aspiring to careers in agriculture. In the section on curriculum development and innovation, Skinner presented on curriculum design through a HTML5 digital learning tool (H5P) to address post-pandemic challenges in higher education at the University of Southern Queensland (UniSQ). The results showed that H5P as an online learning tool provided an authentic experience to a diverse group of students, with student participation and satisfaction positive upon implementation. The study highlights the potential of this tool in agricultural disciplines such as animal science. However, the author recommends longitudinal studies regarding student participation to deeply understand the impact. Sinai also addressed online learning for higher education students and the importance of developing creative approaches to meet their needs. The author referred to asynchronous course access, geographical dispersion, and the diverse work realities of students. This article presents the use of podcasts as a creative approach to complement lecture content in the "Social License to Operate" unit within the Bachelor of Agriculture program at CQUniversity. The decision to use podcasts also arose in response to the difficulties in organising lectures with guest speakers and for designing student engagement strategies. Finally, the article analysed the advantages and disadvantages of podcasts and offers some practical recommendations for their implementation. Finally, Barber and Bowles presented on the use of virtual reality in Australian agricultural education. The authors described the general principles and requirements for creating a virtual tour of a food or fibre company and through three case studies, addressed its implementation in teaching. These case studies analysed company visits through modalities that include online learning modules, face-to-face case studies, and online work-integrated learning. The authors showed that virtual reality has significant potential to enhance student learning and maximise the benefits of field visits. Future research is recommended to further explore the benefits of including virtual tours in the curriculum.

This study aims to understand the motivations, barriers, and preferences of northern Australian beef producers to adopt genetic tools through the views of different stakeholders. Using qualitative research with a single-case study approach, 15 semi-structured interviews were conducted to collect data which were then thematically analysed. Motivating factors to adopt genetic tools were the usefulness of genetic information, the productivity gains, and the profit of the beef enterprise. Barriers to adopting genetic tools included individual factors such as the lack of understanding, limited education, and the attitude of producers or contextual factors such as geographical location and size of production systems. This knowledge will support the development of future extension interventions to promote the use of genetic tools. To effectively promote the use of genetic tools in northern Australian beef production, extension programs should consider both the environmental and geographical context as well as the attitudes and beliefs of local beef producers. This study could present limitations related to sample bias. Future research should include more representative samples and mixed-methods approaches, supplemented by analyses of case studies to validate the reported perceptions.

This article examines Australian high school students’ knowledge of food and fibre industries based on their exposure to agriculture. This research explores the agricultural knowledge of students from year 7 to 10 students (N = 2603) from 47 schools across Australia in 2021. Through a survey, agricultural knowledge questions were classified into livestock (LK), crops (CK) and general knowledge (GK). Exposure to agricultural environments based on location and farming exposure were compared between the groups to assess their level of knowledge achieved. Agricultural knowledge levels in the CK and GK groups were comparable, with both significantly higher than LK. Exposure to agriculture impacted the level of knowledge achieved, increasing as students gained more exposure, particularly in livestock. The results highlight the importance of experiential learning to enhance student knowledge of agriculture. Future research should explore what the expected agricultural literacy is of Australian secondary students for each grade level, requiring benchmarks to be established.