Rural Skills Australia is a member of the Bundaberg Agricultural Group, with a role in finding opportunities for apprenticeships and career pathways. The production horticulture industry is Queensland’s largest rural employer with seasonal and full-time employees needed to keep the multi-million dollar industry producing. Queensland grows one third of Australia's fruit and vegetable crop.

The first six school-based production horticulture trainees started in the Bundaberg district in 2010 with another six joining them in 2011 from other parts of the state. The trainees learn about growing a wide range of horticulture products and the work on local properties. The training course was specifically designed to assist the young trainees to complete Year 12 while giving them tools for a career in production horticulture.

The first six trainees received the Sunbeam Future Farmers' sponsorships of $1 000 and we are awaiting the decision from Sunbeam on the 2011 applications.

Training is provided by the Australian Agricultural College Corporation and follows a series of meetings of the Bundaberg Agricultural Training Group, which includes such members as the Bundaberg Fruit and Vegetable Growers, AACC, TAFE, various state and Australian government departments, Australian Apprenticeship Centres, regional schools, University of Central Queensland and Rural Skills Australia. 

Trainees (Certificate II in Production Horticulture) from Kepnock State High with Terry and Gavin Berry from DEEDI’s Kalkie Research Station

The training course was specifically designed to assist the young trainees to complete Year 12 while giving them tools for a career in production horticulture.

The Bundaberg Agricultural Training Group has been instrumental in a number of achievements:

• a Gateway School in Agribusiness
• overseeing the placement of a full-time local AACC training coordinator
• establishment of the foundation chair in horticultural science at the Bundaberg Campus of Central Queensland University
• development and distribution of a Rural Skills Australia funded promotional DVD and interactive on-line facility ‘Your Future is Here’
• Certificate Level IV in Production Horticulture for existing workers
• placement of twelve students from the Bundaberg Special School on local farms
• development and distribution of a ‘workforce toolbox’ to 250 local growers, and
• the successful completion of several training programs for long-term unemployed job seekers leading to most gaining full time employment.

Many other accredited and non-accredited, industry-specified training activities have been undertaken involving over 200 participants from carbon on farm to waste water recycling. Other production horticulture districts in Queensland have now started establishing similar training management groups.