Скачать или смотреть AgFutures Collaborative design and delivery of a place based skills pathway

AgFutures is a place-based training initiative being implemented in the Barwon South West region of Victoria. The initiative aims to address three interconnected problems: a workforce and skills shortage crisis in agricultural, sustained disengagement and youth un/under-employment rates among disadvantaged young people in the region and declining uptake and completion of entry level agricultural programs among young workforce entrants.

A clear and consistent picture of both crisis and opportunity emerges from numerous agricultural workforce, youth employment and skills and training reviews of the last several years. Within these reviews, sector experts and stakeholders have emphasised the need for greater cross sectoral collaboration, sustained investment in education and training solutions and increased on the job training.

The AgFutures initiative is a cross sectoral collaborative partnership that is co-designing and testing in place a practice model aimed at strengthening links between industry and training providers. Through this sustained partnership, the initiative is leveraging deep understanding of both workforce problems and needs, and the educational and employability needs of young people, to enable the collaborative co-design and co-deliver of an employment-based pathway to agricultural careers. The multi-partner initiative includes South West TAFE, Dairy Australia, Skills Insight, Food and Fibre Great South Coast, Brophy Family and Youth Services and the Brotherhood of St Laurence, who have co-designed.

This research snapshot will include an overview of the co-design process and the ways in which the voices of young people and employers have been embedded in the model through sustained and intentional reference group mechanisms. Lessons emerging from a developmental evaluation that is running alongside the initiative also highlights learnings and adaptations undertaken to widen engagement for young people in the agriculture pathway, and the ways in which pre-employment and training supports have been informed by young farm workers.

These findings provide evidence of what it takes to design and implement alternative forms of training that enable all learners to meaningfully partake in education and employment opportunities.

Presented by Kira Clarke, Principal Research Fellow – Skills & Training, Social Policy and Research Centre, Brotherhood of St Laurence