Identifying Priority Occupations for Career Promotion in Agriculture

Agriculture is not standing still — and neither are its careers. I was reminded of this recently when a stakeholder asked about skill shortages in the industry, prompting me to reflect on the results of a short survey FFTITC recently conducted.

FFTITC surveyed 86 agriculture stakeholders across WA to identify the occupations that should be front and centre in career promotion. The message was clear: modern agriculture needs people with digital, technical, scientific and practical skills.

The top priorities were:

• AgTech Specialist – where drones, GPS, robotics, automation and data are transforming how agriculture works.

• Farm Hand / Senior Farm Hand – the engine room of farm operations, and roles that deserve a serious rebrand to reflect their skill, responsibility and career potential.

• Agronomist – connecting science, sustainability and on-farm decision-making to support the future of food and fibre production.

Stakeholders also highlighted strong demand for Agricultural Mechanics, Precision Ag/Mobile Plant Operators, Agricultural Technicians, Irrigation Specialists, Data Scientists and Sustainable Agriculture Specialists.

Agriculture is high-tech, high-skill and full of opportunity.

Thank you to everyone who contributed their insights, you can read the full report below.

Agriculture Stakeholder Survey Report.pdf

Download PDF • 352KB

Diane Smith

Industry Consultant

Diane@fftitc.com.au

Growing Skills for Industry

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