Innovations in Agri-Tech Education and Extension
We are a team of researchers and practitioners who develop innovative programs to increase the skills and knowledge of the current and next-generation agricultural workforce in agri-tech tools and systems.
Our team works with educational institutions, agricultural businesses and industry organisations to develop and implement a range of learning opportunities for educators, students and those working in the agricultural industry to build their capacity to use data and technology to support decision-making across the supply chain.
All of our projects aim to showcase the scientific and digital skills required in the agricultural industry to upskill the current agricultural workforce and attract the next generation to work in the food and fibre production sector.
By exposing young people to agri-tech tools and systems from an early age the benefits are two-fold:
- It will increase the adoption of technology across the agriculture supply chain when these young people enter the workforce as they will be confident and skilled in the use of agri-tech.
- Students will act as ‘agents of change’ and influence, encourage and support adults to adopt agri-tech tools and systems on-farm.
Specialist research skills:
- education as a vehicle for information delivery and encouraging practice change
- community-based social marketing
- behavioural and clinical psychology
- behaviour change through story-telling
- knowledge transfer and innovation in agricultural supply chains
- training and assessment protocols and delivery
- information-based public relations and communications techniques
- media, social media, and mass communications
Research Projects
Our research projects empower current and future agricultural workers with the skills needed to navigate a digital farming future. Through partnerships with schools, industry, and communities, we design and deliver innovative education and extension programs that drive agri-tech adoption and sustainable change across the supply chain.
The Agribusiness Gateway to Industry Schools project connects secondary schools with agriculture leaders and creates real-world learning experiences and career pathways in agriculture. The program also delivers specialist training to teachers, equipping them to support students who want to work in the plethora of roles in our primary industries.
Schools selected to participate in the Gateway program will receive dedicated guidance from the project team and industry partners, to integrate agriculture into curriculum and create ongoing partnerships with local agriculture industries.
As the new provider for the Agribusiness Gateway to Industry Schools project, CQUniversity is working with AgForce Queensland, AgriFutures Australia, and the Queensland Agricultural Teachers Association (QATA) to recruit 15 schools to the program in 2025. Participant schools will each receive $2,500 to support new initiatives with local agricultural industry and incorporate new resources including ag-tech in the classroom.
Professional development opportunities for teachers will also guide schools to better support school-based traineeships and apprenticeships for students.
The Agribusiness Gateway to Industry Schools Project is managed by CQUniversity and funded by the Queensland Department of Trade, Employment and Training, delivered in partnership with AgriFutures Australia, the Queensland Agriculture Teachers Association and AgForce School to Industry Partnership Program.
Learn more at the Agribusiness Gateway website.
The Growing Workplace Diversity in the Food and Fibre Industry project will develop a comprehensive inclusivity plan to implement and promote strategic practices to improve the diversity and inclusion of people who are currently underrepresented in the agricultural industry nationwide.
By providing industry groups, and small, medium and large employers with clear strategies to improve the attraction and retention of people who are currently underrepresented in the Australian agricultural workforce. These groups include culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) people, First Nations people, people who are neurodiverse, and people who identify with a disability. Through the inclusion of these groups, Australian agriculture can strengthen the social sustainability and innovative efforts of the wider industry.
Over four stages, the project will focus on developing & trialing strategies to support co-ordinated efforts to grow workplace diversity in the food and fibre industry.
The Growing Workplace Diversity in the Food and Fibre Industry is funded by AgriFutures Australia.
The GrowHer program is transforming the future of agriculture, equipping 450 female students across years 7-12 to gain skills, mentoring and industry connections for ag-tech careers.
The groundbreaking project brings students from regional Queensland together for a one-day event that exposes them to the latest ag-tech tools and systems. The students are then broken into groups, introduced to an industry mentor and encouraged to come up with an idea to tackle a problem faced by the industry. The day culminates in a pitching competition, with the winning team scoring a free trip to an innovation event, to further develop their idea and grow industry connections.
GrowHer is proudly supported by Advance Queensland, as part of the Regional Enablers Program.
Learn more on the GrowHer website.
Raising Aspirations in Careers and Education – Victoria (RACE – Victoria) aims to provide engaging experiences that increase students understanding, confidence, interest, and motivation for pursuing a pathway to one of the many different careers in world of agricultural work.
The initiative was previously delivered as RACE – Gippsland between 2021 to 2023 and RACE Goulburn between 2023 to 2024. Together these projects facilitated agricultural career exploration experiences for more than 4000 students in the Gippsland and Goulburn Murray regions.
Thanks to funding from the Victorian State Government through the Raising Rural and Regional Student Aspirations Program 2024-2025, the program will be available to all regional Victorian primary and secondary schools until the end of 2025.
Though the RACE – Victoria program CQU staff will work to deliver a range of activities including Agri-tech Roadshows, Food and Fibre Industry School Partnership Programs and Teacher Personal Development Webinars to connect teachers with industry.
