Job opportunities in the world of agriculture are enormous and exciting, as recent UNE graduate Savannah Roberge-Boutsikakis has discovered.
Savannah chose to undertake an online Bachelor of Agriculture because she has always been passionate about the agricultural industry. The UNE degree offered a variety of units to choose from that enabled her to obtain greater insight across all enterprises within the agricultural industry, including livestock, agronomy, precision agriculture as well as meat judging.
Being an online student, living out of town with average internet, made studying a challenge. The Goulburn Country Universities Centre (CUC) has been a godsend. With free high-speed internet, modern, high tech learning spaces and onsite academic advice, Savannah could stay local, yet still have all the benefits of studying on campus. The CUC, based in Goulburn provides wrap-around-support for higher education students living in regional areas and gave Savannah a base to study where she could engage with others in a similar situation and be supported locally.
Doing a strongly based practical degree, the requirement to travel to Armidale once a trimester, for multiple days to attend intensive school was vital to complete the practicals and pass the unit. “Intensive schools consolidated the theory learnt during the trimester as well as allowed me access to not only state of the art facilities, but also the chance to get to know the people you see on the forum.”
Leading into graduation, Savannah applied for multiple jobs. She was successful in gaining interviews for each and built confidence during the process. Companies such as GrainCorp in Goondiwindi offered her a role as assistant site manager — a position paying in the $85000-$95000 bracket, ideal for a graduate — however she has chosen to work at Moree where she has recently been sowing crops for nine weeks and see the process through to the end of harvest, along with completing a Certificate in Wool Classing to gain further skills.
“The ideal job for me would involve my love of livestock and wool whilst being able to work and see different parts of the country, though I have found a new interest in the cropping industry so the dream job really can’t be narrowed down to one specific thing for me,” Savannah said. “Agriculture is so diverse and broad that you really don’t know what jobs are out there or where you will end up and that makes it all the more exciting.”
If you asked Savannah three years ago what she would be doing now, she could not have envisioned how far she would come or the amazing experiences she has found through undertaking a degree.
Report courtesy of the Goulburn Country Universities Centre