You're very welcome, glad you found it useful!

I'm so glad you found this post helpful. Enjoy your adventures in leadership!

Thank you Clayton! My life is so full of colour, movement and chatter I was definitely looking for an office that would allow my mind to be at peace...that said, I do have a small red lacquer table in the office now, which maybe adds some life to the space.

Thank you for your comment Madeleine. You will see I've tweeted a quote from it as I thought it was so powerful and perfectly, in one sentence, articulated the core of the issue! We can't grow as a sector unless we engage students with the exciting and diverse opportunities that exist for AgSci graduates. If we don't, then we can't complain when young people choose to study something else for fear of the issues you raise.

Thank you for commenting on my post Russell. What an important point you make about the role of students in research! I think as industry we tend to focus on the agricultural careers / food producer shortages, but we won't have an industry without the innovation our research sector delivers. I know many researchers are concerned about the low number of post-graduate students coming through in agriculture and related sciences as a large chunk of agricultural scientists cruise towards retirement. But the issue you raise about students doing the hands-on research NOW that industry needs I think is a risk we have overlooked in our quest to attract young people to our sector. I agree with the three points you make in determining how we could better engage industry with students. To be honest I have only had about 2 industry representatives (out of about 50 I've contacted) say they are too busy to engage with students. So that is really heartening! The issue as you say is not adding another layer of engagement for either party as a barrier to participation. This can be tricky, because many students I meet are reticent about making connections and then worry about "bothering" the industry people too much with their questions. Where we have a formal process for engagement, they feel empowered to make contact. This process also means the industry representative can plan their participation as well. In other words, they know a student is ringing in two weeks so they can put it in their diary. They know a student is coming this summer for 2 weeks so they have a few months to think about a work plan / itinerary. This helps them manage their time commitment, although I concede it is still a time commitment! I also think that many employers recognise the problem, but don't always know how to address their own shortages. It is a fairly long-term investment of time (and resources) to get involved when their potential future workforce is still at university. And of course, those companies that do take on university students in internships or for work experience cannot be guaranteed they will seek employment with them when they graduate. So the return on investment is not always considered worth it. Although, as you say there are benefits of having young people around your business, not just for the extra pair of hands during peak times. One business owner I know says it keeps him on his toes because he is constantly having to explain why he does things a certain way which forces him to think about his business practices in a whole new light. I think there are already many industry professionals out there who are "making it happen" in their own way, mostly through family or alumni connections in my experience. It just makes me cringe when I hear commentators say we need more AgSci scholarships, because that is only part of the story, in my opinion... Thanks so much for commenting on my post, it was great to hear from you!

Thank you for your comment Lisa. A few initiatives have been brought to my attention lately that encourage the linking of students and industry in a semi-relaxed atmosphere. They tend to be alumni association events, but even then I noticed that the student places were full but tickets were still available to industry representatives. Everyone is busy, I know. Even the students are busy and to be honest not all of the students I know who are given an opportunity to meet with industry professionals take up the offer regularly. Students not having an understanding of career paths is not an issue particular to agriculture, it's just we in agriculture are always linking graduate numbers to the future success of our sector, which always makes me roll my eyes a little when I see the realities of low engagement everyday. As for those students interested in promoting agriculture to urban communities, I tend to put them straight in touch with Art4Agriculture and I'm pleased to see a few of them on the list of school visitors this year! But I think they'd be a great resource for State Farming Organisations or other industry associations to utilise when doing education programs. I absolutely agree that there is a role for current Ag Sci students in inspiring and mentoring high school students with an interest in agriculture. I know a few students visit their old schools to speak about their studies/career. But I'd love to see an environment where older and younger students form links that will last long into their careers. And as you'd appreciate, the mentors get as much out of these partnerships as the mentees! Have you had any luck finding students at your local university to assist your students? I'm not sure where your school is located, but feel free to email me on [email protected] and I can think about whether I know anyone appropriate to assist. Thanks again for taking the time to read and comment on my post!

Thank you for your comments Eve! I agree that Shows, while about showcasing agriculture, in the end are all about the people. And what great people we have in our sector. I have put the Hurlstone Fair in my diary and will do my best to get there. It's a great school.