Interview with Luke Polkinghorne, Sky Regional Breakfast

E&OE TRANSCRIPT
TELEVISION INTERVIEW
SKY REGIONAL BREAKFAST
TUESDAY, 17 SEPTEMBER 2024

SUBJECTS: AgConnections Program.

LUCY POLKINGHORNE [HOST]: The Albanese Government is supporting the future of Australia's agricultural industry by investing in education to advance the next generation of Ag workers. The AgConnections initiative will provide funding for universities to develop a program that shows students what a career in Ag could look like. The program will also break down preconceived stereotypes associated with working in the industry to entice more people to get involved. Well, for more on this, I'm joined by Assistant Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Senator Anthony Chisholm. Senator, good morning, thanks for your time. This sounds fantastic. What more can you tell us about it?

ANTHONY CHISHOLM [ASSISTANT MINISTER]: Thanks, Lucy. Yeah, it's a great opportunity and we want to expand the number of people who are interested in a career in Ag. So, that's why we want to partner with universities, both rural, regional and urban universities, to encourage people to see a career in this space and try something out. So, this will be about the courses that they can offer, this will be about work experience that the universities can organise. But it's also about expanding the network of people who are interested in a career in Ag, increasing productivity and ensuring that we continue to see that bright future in agriculture across Australia.

POLKINGHORNE: And which Ag sectors in particular, I guess, which parts really need to entice the next generation of workers?

CHISHOLM: Well, workforce across the Ag Sector is vital and it's something that the government's been working on closely and I'm looking forward to taking on in my new role. We know that all across the sector, we need vets, we need Ag scientists. There's so much need out there, but for some people, they just haven't had that opportunity because they didn't necessarily grow up on a farm or in a rural setting. This is about giving people that opportunity and saying, this is what the future could look like if you want to take it on. So, I'm really excited about it. I think that it's going to be welcomed by the Ag sector and our higher education sector and I think that it's going to lead to great opportunities over the next couple of years for young people.

POLKINGHORNE: Fantastic. And will young people get an opportunity to get their hands dirty, so to speak, to go out and actually experience what it is like in the Ag Industry from you know, not just the theory sense, but the practical sense too?

CHISHOLM: I think that's the exciting part, is that it will enable people to get out onto farms or onto crops and experience firsthand the work that's involved. But it's also about ensuring that these people see a career for themselves. It doesn't necessarily have to mean you need to come from a farm or you need to own a farm. There are really great careers in Ag and I've been lucky enough to meet some of those people doing those careers over the last couple of months. We want to expand that opportunity right across the country and encourage young people to get involved and see a career for themselves. So, I think this is going to be a really popular program that's going to make a difference for many young people.

POLKINGHORNE: Absolutely and also, I guess, securing or ensuring the security of the industry in the future, too.

CHISHOLM: It is, and that's what we want to ensure - that our agriculture sector remains productive and profitable for a long time to come. But also it increases in value. But to do that, we need new workforce and people from different backgrounds gaining entry into the sector, and that is what this program is about. So, I think that the universities, I'm sure, will welcome it. But it isn't just for the regional or rural universities, it's for urban universities as well, to encourage people from city backgrounds to take on these opportunities at the same time. So, I think that it's going to be really popular, but it's going to lead to long term careers for young people in the Ag sector, and that's very exciting.

POLKINGHORNE: It is very exciting indeed. Anthony Chisholm, I appreciate your time this morning. Thank you.

CHISHOLM: Thanks Lucy.