More opportunities for young farmers to thrive at Kangan Institute

Flexible courses in agriculture and production horticulture at Kangan Institute, combined with an opportunity to apply for the Victorian Government’s 2020 Upskill and Invest Young Farmers Scholarships, are set to pave the way for many young local farmers to develop their skills across the agricultural sector.

With scholarships valued at up to $10,000 each, successful recipients may apply part of their scholarship fund towards pursuing relevant training with Kangan Institute, including the following courses.

• Certificate III in Horticulture (AHC30716)
• Certificate IV in Agriculture (AHC40116)

Courses currently focus on flexible, adaptable delivery in line with an increasing demand for online and remote training options.

“We recognise that our students have different needs when it comes to learning, from those who thrive in hands-on, face-to-face environments to those who prefer online channels so they can learn from wherever they are,” said Kangan Institute’s Director of Food and Fibre Nicole Broe.

“Our delivery modes are flexible, adaptive and multi-faceted to suit everyone, and those who are working while studying may find particular benefit with this approach.

“Our delivery includes innovative ways to support practical learning in the digital age, such as working with partners to film the process of setting up a weather station and soil probes at a farmer’s property to be made available to students digitally.” Kangan Institute also draws on industry collaboration to ensure skills provided match current needs of the sector.

“We work with many businesses across agriculture, horticulture, animal studies, natural resource management and science, and partner with them through our Industry Advisory Board to ensure curriculum matches the current and future needs of this fastgrowing sector,” said Ms. Broe.

“Skills from our programs can be used in many settings from cropping, livestock production and agribusiness through to horticulture, landscaping and animal science.”

Applications for the Victorian Government’s 2020 Upskill and Invest Young Farmers Scholarships close on 14 June 2020. For more information about eligibility criteria and how to apply, visit vic.gov.au/youngfarmers.