Students Focus On Agribusiness

Twenty Shepparton year 9 students will next week participate in a camp at Dookie College highlighting study and job options in agribusiness and the environment. 

The students from Mooroopna Secondary College will have a hands-on learning experience involving laboratory and field work and exposure to new technology. 

The Year 9 Lighthouse Dookie Camp has been made possible with an alliance between the Greater Shepparton Lighthouse Project, the Better Together Alliance and The University of Melbourne Dookie Campus. 

The camp aims to have students understand the diversity of jobs within agriculture and the environmental sectors. It will also help students in linking their learning with school and planning a pathway according to the availability of jobs in these sectors. 

The students will have the opportunity to participate in a variety of workshops including a robotic dairy visit, sheep handling and a drone demonstration as part of a technology in agriculture session. The students will also have the opportunity to interact and engage with local professionals working in the Agricultural and Environmental sectors as part of an Ag Café experience.  

This is the second year the Lighthouse Dookie Camp has run. Last year saw the camp successfully trialled with students from Mooroopna Secondary College who will take up the opportunity again this year. 

Students live on campus at Dookie and have the opportunity to immerse themselves in university life for a few days. They are also involved in activities to build their communication skills and resilience. 

Lighthouse EO, Lisa Mckenzie, said the camp was developed in direct response to Lighthouse’s 1000 Conversations initiative in 2015 which showed a poor understanding by students, parents and teachers about jobs on offer in the agriculture and environment sectors. 

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