Gap year program helping city kids into agriculture

A pilot program finding on-farm placements for 17 to 25 year olds with a dream of working in ag is gathering steam. But funding is running out.

Driving tractors, spreading fertiliser, fixing fences and mustering sheep is all in a day’s work for Tara Southwell.

The 19-year-old is one of 58 young Australians currently working a gap year on farms across the nation through AgCAREERSTART, a program providing pathways into the industry for regional and city kids keen on an agrarian life but with no farming experience or connections.

But while the $5.2 million three-year pilot program is growing in popularity, it has an uncertain future with the federal government yet to commit to ongoing funding.

For her part, Ms Southwell, who dreams of owning a cattle station, turned to the program after fruitlessly applying for farm jobs from the family home in Googong, 27km south of Canberra.

“People are quite happy to advertise that they will train you but, not coming from a farm, I found it quite hard,” Ms Southwell said.

Canberra teenager Tara Southwell is on placement with Andrew Laidlaw on his Langi Logan mixed cropping farm. Tara is participating in the National Farmers’ Federation and Federal Government AgCareerStart program, which has been successful in getting young people, especially those from cities, into agricultural careers. Picture: Zoe Phillips

The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry oversees the program, developed by the National Farmers’ Federation, aimed at 17-25 year olds.

Participants have ranged from school leavers to builders and bakers.

A DAFF spokeswoman said 28 people took part in the program in 2022 and 58 last year with “very strong interest” to fill 100 spots in 2024 – the final cohort.

AgCAREERSTART project manager Kayla Evans said she was “very optimistic” the government will come to the table.

A government spokesman said current funding runs into 2025 and while the program has helped nearly 90 participants find work on farms, “decisions on the future of the program … will be made at a later date”.

Ms Evans said 82 per cent of the 2022 participants remain in agriculture and 43 per cent have stayed with their host employers.

Langi Logan crop and sheep mixed farmer Andy Laidlaw, who took on Ms Southwell, said the extra set of hands had been a godsend and the program a lifeline in tight labour markets.

“They are super green, but what you put in with the kids is what you get out,” he said.

“Tara is passionate and loving that she’s been given a chance to start a career in agriculture and she has fit in really well and now works basically unsupervised.

“We’ll go again next year, it’s a fantastic program.”

Ms Southwell intends to commence an agribusiness tertiary degree next year.

“At the start it was hard, especially being on a tractor for a fair bit of time, but once you get used to it it is great,” she said.

“Helping put the crop in and through to now seeing it come up has been an amazing experience. The hands-on experience will be invaluable.”

Ms Evans said it was “heartwarming” to see “keen applicants ready to have a crack” take their first steps in agriculture.

There has been a 50-50 split of participants from the city and country.