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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2022-11-02 Daily Xml
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Agriculture, Animal and Vet Sciences Expo

The Hon. R.B. MARTIN (15:13): My question is to the Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development. Will the minister please update the chamber on the Agriculture, Animal and Vet Sciences Expo?

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, Minister for Forest Industries) (15:14): I thank the honourable member for his question. The Department of Primary Industries and Regions (PIRSA) recently joined Urrbrae high school for its Agriculture, Animal and Vet Sciences Expo to talk to year 12 students, along with their parents and teachers, about careers in agriculture in South Australia, including the diverse range of career opportunities at PIRSA. The Careers Expo is held each year to promote career pathways for students interested in agriculture and related fields.

This year the Expo attracted more than 300 participants, including students from regional and metropolitan schools who came to talk with over 30 exhibitors, including universities, government agencies and industry groups, about available pathways. The afternoon included a careers panel with speakers discussing global food security, ag technology and innovation and providing tips on successful job seeking.

Chelsea Koch, animal health adviser, Biosecurity SA, spoke on behalf of PIRSA and shared her career story, as well as tips for students looking to get into the animal health and the biosecurity fields. Emily Mellor from PIRSA's Red Meat and Wool Growth Program showed students the recently launched sheep emergency animal diseases mobile phone app which uses augmented reality to educate producers on recognising the signs that could indicate exotic disease in their animals. I am told this was a very popular attraction with students.

Jason Nichols, senior research support officer from SARDI, Kane McLean, fisheries officer from Fisheries and Aquaculture, and Sharon Douglas, HR consultant from Corporate Services, also attended to discuss the many and varied career opportunities for students, as well as sharing some of the issues facing the industry and the skill sets required. I'm told that the PIRSA team had some great questions from students and teachers who were keen to learn about what the agency does and how PIRSA supports industry.

The information provided to me has been that for every graduate of an agricultural degree there is a choice of between five and seven jobs, so a very large number of jobs for each graduate. I would certainly encourage secondary school students, who are thinking about what careers they might like to pursue, to consider some of the exciting opportunities in agriculture and primary industries, and look forward to seeing some of them hopefully even working for PIRSA in years to come.

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