NSW: Sydney professor says drought masking farm skills shortage

AAP General News (Australia)
12-19-2006
NSW: Sydney professor says drought masking farm skills shortage

SYDNEY, Dec 19 AAP - The drought should not turn school leavers off a career in agriculture,
a University of Sydney professor says.

Les Copeland, dean of the university's faculty of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources,
said today the short-term negatives were masking a potential skills shortage in the farm
sector.

Speaking on the day NSW students received their HSC results, Prof Copeland said agricultural
qualifications would be increasingly sought after as agribusiness recovered from the drought.

"While the drought is having a short-term negative impact on some areas of employment,
the sector is facing momentous changes that create a serious need for more people with
skills in exactly these areas," he said.

"Agriculture is no longer just about farming but intrinsically tied in with the entire
food chain, managing the environment and minimising the impact of human endeavours on
our natural resources.

"Recruitment firms specialising in agricultural appointments are telling us that the
choices are almost limitless, once graduates have a few years experience under their belts,
including science, commercial and advisory careers."

Prof Copeland said more than 90 per cent of graduates from the university's agricultural
faculty had jobs before they completed their course.

"While many of those opportunities are outside what could be directly considered agriculture,
the background and understanding of rural issues make graduates in agricultural science
and economics extremely valuable as employees and high level managers," he said.

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KEYWORD: HSC AGRICULTURE

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