Ten diploma recipients from the Australian College of Agriculture and Horticulture have been placed into industry positions since Rural Skills Australia announced the initiative in February.

Two graduates of the course have been placed in the cotton industry in NSW, two were accepted for positions in production horticulture in Katherine, Northern Territory, and two into production horticulture in Childers, Queensland. Four graduates found their own positions.

There are still 20 graduates available to work anywhere in Australia. Please go to recent graduates available for employment for further information.

Rural Skills Australia has an affiliation with the Australian College of Agriculture and Horticulture to develop and deliver a broad range of sector-specific industry qualifications in horticulture and agriculture.

The affiliation has created very strong and clear employment opportunities for graduating students and delivering fully qualified workers for industry employers. RSA is assisting the college to locate suitable employment opportunities in industry.

The college has been utilising the web learning platform, Rural Skills Online, to deliver a broad range of industry training programs. These streams of training lead to the completion of sector specific qualifications that are recognised in Australia and internationally.
Australia is facing increasing demands for skilled labour, with an ageing workforce, a commodities boom and a strong Australian dollar. Many industry employers could benefit greatly through the employment of graduates such as those from ACAH.

Employers in agriculture, horticulture and agribusiness have expressed their interest in employing properly skilled young people with a commitment working in these industries.

College graduates must be skilled in delivering sustainable production practices, which include the application of new technology, appreciation of climate change adaptations, knowledge of carbon farming initiatives, innovation, water management and agronomy.

Having an available and reliable source of graduates who have the knowledge, skills, experience and positive attributes will be highly regarded by employers across all industry sectors of agriculture.

Employers will be given the opportunity to assess the skills and ability of graduates before making any long-term employment commitments under sponsorship arrangements. The program is built upon the principle having confidence in selecting employees with the necessary qualifications and training. The college would seek to place graduates in jobs for three to six months at any time during the year.