Farming Futures Expo

Farming Futures Logo

Planting the seed for the future leaders of Australia's agricultural sector.

About Farming Futures

The Careers Fair and Industry Dinner will be held on Thursday 13 July, 2023!

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Farming Futures is organised by the Farming Futures Committee, an independent body run by UNE students. Prior to 2015, the Committee was supported by Enactus UNE (formerly SIFE UNE) and UNE Rural Science Undergraduate Society.

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History

The Farming Futures Dinner concept was founded in 2011 by students from the University of New England (UNE). These students are members of the Rural Science Undergraduate Society (RSUS) and Enactus UNE (formerly SIFE UNE).

Farming Futures is a celebration of careers in agriculture. Our vision for the Farming Futures Project was to create a networking event which would serve to:

  • Provide an avenue for companies to promote employment opportunities within the agricultural sector.
  • Increase student awareness of job opportunities in the agricultural sector.
  • Create opportunities for industry to meet with upcoming graduates.
  • Provide encouragement and inspire students to complete their degrees.
  • Facilitate networking opportunities between students, academics and industry.
  • Encourage all aspects of the sector to work together to tackle the shortage of agricultural graduates.

We believe that our Farming Futures concept is helping address some of the significant issues facing the agricultural sector such as: low numbers of agricultural graduates, uncertainty about career paths in the sector and the low percentage of the agricultural workforce with a tertiary education. Just 7% of the agricultural work force has a tertiary education compared to the Australian workforce average of 22% (Pratley, 2010).

Our first event the Farming Futures Industry Dinner was held in 2011. It was attended by 70 students and 30 industry representatives.

In 2012 we expanded the Farming Futures concept and incorporated an agricultural careers fair at UNE into our events. This was then followed by the Farming Futures Dinner that evening. Close to 300 people visited the careers fair and 250 people attended the dinner. The two events generated over 50,000 media impressions.

In 2018, 39 companies attended the careers fair. Approximately 500 university students attended the careers fair, as well as approximately 100 secondary students, attending as part of the high schools program. The Industry Dinner was a sell out event, with approximately 320 in attendance.

Careers Fair

The Agricultural and Agribusiness Careers Fair will be held at SportUNE in Campbell Hall on Thursday 13 July from 9am to 3pm. A free barbecue lunch will be available from 12pm.

The Careers Fair showcases companies from the agricultural and agribusiness sector who are employing agricultural graduates and is aimed at exposing both university and school students to the vast opportunities that are available in the agricultural sector.

The Careers Fair can benefit anyone as it allows for networking and one on one time with some of the brightest minds in the School of Environmental and Rural Science, UNE Business School as well as industry representatives.

Industry Dinner

The Farming Futures Industry Dinner is a fun-filled night designed to facilitate student industry networking within the agricultural sector.

Tickets price includes canapés and a two-course dinner. Drinks will be available for purchase at the bar. A charity auction will be held to support our chosen charity of the year, Ability Agriculture and live music performed by Terra Firma.

At the 2022 Industry Dinner, a total of $9045 was raised for BlazeAid. In 2023, we hope to raise even more funds for our chosen charity.

Tickets can be purchased here.

Contact us

If you have any questions about Farming Futures, please contact:

Holly Newsome - 2023 Co-Chairperson
Email:
ffutures@une.edu.au

Jarrah Ransome - 2023 Co-Chairperson
Email:
ffutures@une.edu.au