Grains Research and Development

Building skills and capacity

This theme is focused on generating leadership, innovation and education in the grains sector.

 

To compete and succeed internationally, the Australian grains industry needs a highly skilled and motivated workforce, including growers, advisers, researchers and managers.

 

The industry has identified several critical challenges:

-- the grains industry and farming are becoming increasingly complex, with many types and sources of information that growers need to make decisions

-- the number of appropriately skilled researchers and advisers being trained to replace the current generation is inadequate—this is compounded by a large number of experienced people reaching retirement age

-- agricultural careers are not traditionally attractive to potential candidates

-- the grains industry lacks a whole-of-industry approach to building skills and capacity

-- growers are time-poor and face succession-planning changes

-- the uptake of technology often requires substantial technical support.

 

Through the ‘Building skills and capacity’ theme, the GRDC has identified opportunities to focus its investment to address these challenges.

 

View the presentation on building skills and capacity below:

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Planned outcomes for Theme 6—Building skills and capacity

Aspirational outcome (10+ years)

A dynamic Australian grains industry with the skills and capacity to continuously innovate.

Intermediate outcomes (5 years)

Grains industry leadership and communication

The Australian grains industry has the leadership and communication capacity to proactively engage with the broader Australian community.

 

- An increased number of industry participants engaged in regional and national leadership roles in the Australian grains industry.

> At least three Nuffield scholars are from the grains industry each year.

 

 

- The grains industry communicates information about potential career opportunities to secondary and tertiary students and their parents and career advisers.

- The grains industry publicises how it benefits the wider community.

 

 

Capacity building in the extension sector

Australia has a skilled agricultural extension sector with access to appropriately skilled people.

Australia has a skilled agricultural extension sector with access to appropriately skilled people.

 

- The extension sector collates and publishes annually its skills requirements and identifies gaps and potential gaps in discipline areas.

- Increased number of people enrol in targeted agriculture-related disciplines.

- Increased number of qualified graduates are employed in extension roles.

- Increased number of graduates and other extension staff undertake postgraduate/workplace training.

- Career pathways within the extension sector retain skilled and experienced personnel.

 

Capacity building in the R&D sector

Australia has world-class R&D personnel with the appropriate skills to meet current and future needs of the Australian grains industry.

Australia has world-class R&D personnel with the appropriate skills to meet current and future needs of the Australian grains industry.

- The grains industry has a clear understanding of its skills requirements in the short, medium and long term.

- Training providers address the grains industry RD&E skills gaps in innovative and flexible ways.

- RD&E providers work with the grains industry to develop improved measures of RD&E performance.

 

 

Capacity building for grain growers

Growers recognise the benefits to their businesses of acquiring additional skills and knowledge and hence the value of their participation in training and continuous learning

Growers recognise the benefits to their businesses of acquiring additional skills and knowledge and hence the value of their participation in training and continuous learning

 

- Growers recognise the additional knowledge and skills they need to fully understand, adapt and adopt the outputs of RD&E and optimise their benefits.

 

- Growers and their advisers participate in relevant training and skills development and apply the knowledge gained to on farm decisions and practices.

> At least 65% of growers and advisers undertake at least one activity each year to learn more about opportunities to improve farm profit or sustainability.

 

- Growers apply skills on farm to increase profitability and sustainability.