One school in rural NSW, in conjunction with their industry body, has created a program in which students can learn to enter the Cotton industry through in-school training – from the very first level of first-aid training, to a fully qualified farm-hand or manager.
It’s the first program of it’s kind in which an industry body works together with it’s local community in order to address the lack of education, and in turn the skills shortage, in their industry. “It the first time, really in agriculture at least, that from an industry basis, a whole training plan was developed across the industry.” Graeme Harris, a teacher of the program, tells SkillsOne.
The program is based a Farrer High school in Tamworth, headed by Graeme Harris. Their school had a successful course in Beef and Grain Production. “[We are] the only school in the state with that as an accredited course. It’s a fairly innovative course.” So, naturally, with their reputation for creative successful VET training programs in school, the Cotton Industry body approached the school to trial a training program for their students.
“We got the VET In-Schools Training Award for excellence. Then I was nominated for the [2007] Trade Skills Excellence Training Awards.” shares Graeme Harris, on the success of the program.
The Cotton course is developed in conjunction with those in the Cotton Industry, specifically to reflect the skills outcomes of the students: “Particular employers don’t know what a Certificate II or III is. There is a mismatch about what people can do at different levels.” Says Harris. “Part of the process was a naming structure so producers would understand their skills. The committee created a Cotton Seeds group – the entry level trainees – You can look at Year 10 or 11 students who don’t have ay or many prior skills. Then, [after that] Cotton Basics – is for people who have some familiarly with agriculture, which is a Cert II, then moving through to Cotton Advanced, which is a Certificate IV.”
The course developed as The Cotton Industry identified there would be an emerging skills shortage about 5 years ago. “The cotton industry is a close knit community – so noticed the trend faster than other communities might have.” They identified there was a shortage, so they went to their peak body, Cotton Australia, to address it. Cotton Australia sought some training partners to create a training pathway. The one development was that the course was to be from basic skills, through to university training.
“The challenges were to develop training systems to develop the skills needed. In the Cotton industry –about 4- 5 years a go had a crop of 3 million bales. With the successive drought – 800 thousand bales – we had difficulty getting staff. When the season turns around, there will be an enormous shortage!”
Farrer High School were selected to trial the program. Many industry partners were involved and a pilot program was supported by DEST, and had supporters in the industry and trainers, in including CB Alexander Tocal College, for the Advanced Cotton (Cert IV) course.
“Then we met two other organisations, JobLink Plus in Moree, the Aboriginal Employment Strategy Group. One was taking on long term unemployed, and one was taking on Indigenous youth or training.”
With the inception, Graeme piloted the training materials that were developed for Cotton Basics, then, made a few changes, then it was applied across the other stakeholders. “That ran for 2 years, to give them the Certificate II.”
“Then, the following year I took year 10 students on the Cotton Seeds course – bringing the VET training back into Year 10 under the BOS (Board Of Studies) training program. So it was a huge collaboration between DEST, BOS and Cotton Australia.”
And it was a lot of study for the teachers involved: “As part of the training, I took a number of faculty staff, to the Narrabri Cotton Research Centre – looking at the science behind the cotton – pest management, growth management that kind of thing. Then I went to Oz Cotton to see the steps they were taking to improve efficiency, then the processing side. That was really good for our staff!” Cotton Australia funded this research.
“People generally think agriculture has no future from an employment point of view.”
The dedication of a few people, and industry bodies being heavily involved in the future of their industry, has re-shaped the future of an industry: and created a trade and jobs for a new generation.
“Many of the skills with machinery in agriculture are shared with the miners.” Graeme shares. “There is one idea that since mines close down in Summer in the Northern Territory, having those workers go into Agriculture into the other part of the year. This has been discussed at High Levels between the Skills Councils in the Agriculture and Mining Industries.
“Looking at the units that are involved in the Certificate II [of Cotton] are almost interchangeable with that of mining. We are considering having a training course that taps into the local mines in the Gunnedah basin. We’d have a couple of mining-specific units – to give those students massive career paths.”
If one industry body can re-shape their future: imagine what two can do!
Graeme has just finished creating an online resource for those studying in the Cotton Industry. You can access his website here , for all the latest information.
