Agriculture

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The GOTAFE Agriculture unit's main focus is on general agriculture and water management. Our aim is to build on the strong agricultural training provided by GOTAFE over many years. Our staff are experienced farmers or come from farming service backgrounds. We work with regional farming industries and organisations to provide relevant training for trainees. We offer higher level courses if you want to move into farm supervision or management.

Students who train at the Rural Industries Campus in Wangaratta can enjoy brand new purpose built facilities. The William Orr Campus in Shepparton has a long history of providing farm training to the Goulburn Valley region.

Farms are mostly family owned and managed businesses. Corporate farming is a small part of the industry mainly found in the dryland pastoral regions of Australia. The increasing cost of owning and operating a farm means more company based farms are emerging. This provides career opportunities for graduates to manage large, well improved and financed farming businesses. As a result, machinery has provided opportunities to develop specialist services for the agriculture and horticulture industries. Contract harvesters and sprayers are examples of highly skilled operators with modern equipment that can often provide a service at a cheaper rate and in a more timely fashion than farmers can on their own properties. There is a trend towards specialisation, particularly in intensive animal industries. It is more common to concentrate on a smaller number of products with some industries being highly specialised. As a result there is a need for a more highly skilled staff with clear and rewarding career paths. (www.ntis.gov.au accessed on 31/7/2009)

Prospective students should discuss enrolment with the Course Coordinator. Please contact the Customer Service Centre on 1300 GOTAFE (1300 468 233) for more information.

Programs can lead to positions such as:

  • farm worker
  • farm supervisor
  • farm manager
  • share farmer
  • farm business manager
  • stock agent 
  • shearer
  • wool classer