Future of farming: Four Wide Bay schools picked for major agribusiness project
Wide Bay schools have beaten stiff competition to join an elite agricultural program, with only 15 chosen from more than 40 applicants across Queensland.
Four Wide Bay schools have been selected to take part in an exclusive educational program linking classrooms with real‑world industry and agri‑tech careers.
Eidsvold State School, Goomeri P-10 State School, Rosedale State School and Hervey Bay State High School are among the public and private schools chosen from across the state to participate in the CQUniversity’s Agribusiness Gateway to Industry Schools Project for Stream 1 in 2026.
Each participating school will receive $2,500 from CQUniversity and industry partners to support the creation of new resources, networks, opportunities and tech for agribusiness education.
They will also work closely with the CQU team throughout the year to create connections with industry and build capacity to embed agriculture across the curriculum.
More than 40 schools applied to join Stream 1 in 2026, with 15 selected for the coming year and more than 50 schools participating in the project this year.
Senior Lecturer in Agriculture with the Agri-tech Education and Extension team Dr Jaime Manning said the quality of the applications from new schools showed how widespread the demand was for support to start developing agricultural skills in our schools.
“We are excited to support our successful schools for their journey into agriculture, discovering agri-tech, and developing programs to empower future farm innovators,“ she said.
Minister for Finance, Trade, Employment and Training Ros Bates said the agriculture sector has always been a cornerstone industry in Queensland, and as it continued to evolve, the workforce would need to evolve along with it.
“I’m excited to see CQU grow the Agribusiness Gateway by reaching into new schools, connecting students with industry, and encouraging even more young Queenslanders to pursue rewarding, skilled ag careers,” she said.
Minister for Primary Industries Tony Perrett said this initiative would contribute towards the state government’s “ambitious target” to increase the value of primary industries to $30bn by 2030.
The program is managed by CQU and funded by the Queensland Government through the Department of Trade, Employment and Training.
It is delivered in partnership with AgriFutures Australia, the Queensland Agriculture Teachers Association and AgForce School to Industry Partnership Program.
Schools that were not able to participate in Stream will still have the opportunity to participate through Stream 2 of the program, which includes professional development, resources and webinars offered throughout the year.
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Originally published as Future of farming: Four Wide Bay schools picked for major agribusiness project
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