Positive agricultural interest for students

Young people are most impressionable when they are 10 to 14 years old, and the growing number of agricultural students is a direct result of the positive attitude those young people feel towards agriculture, Massey University's Director of Agriculture, Jacqueline Rowarth, says.

She talks to high school students about the rewards of doing the "hard" stuff at school – subjects such as maths and biology, physics and chemistry, rather than opting for what overseas research has shown to be the easier credits of some of the arts subjects.

She says in her four years in the job of talking to students, she has seen a steady rise in interest in agriculture.

"The dairy boom at the beginning of this century helped, but generally people feel better about agriculture. The rise in concern over food safety, over dairying (and the environment) have all contributed to a rise in interest."

Prof Rowarth said that 20 years ago, secondary students asked her what she earned, what she drove and her holiday destinations. It was all about earning power. That has changed.

"It is complicated, but people coming in feel a job is not just about the money. Now, bright young people are saying they want to be able to do something they enjoy, that makes a contribution, something that has meaning. That's a bit different from, `How can I afford the lifestyle I want to enjoy?'

"Last year, my first-year students put job security back on the list of things they wanted for the first time for ages.

"They also talked about salary, status and variety."

Prof Rowarth says that is the first time students have talked about the importance of job security and that's terrific.

The days may be gone when young people were predicted to have 22 career changes in their working lifetime. That meant they would change every two years, which was very bad in terms of real career development, and for productivity, she said.

"I noticed with the third-year students that they were talking about how they would build a career. They might want to travel for six months, but they wanted to come back to the same developing job."

Prof Rowarth said employers were also changing. They understood young people having itchy feet, and they would let someone go travelling for a few months, and would then re-employ them.

"People also want to stay in a job, and keep it varied. In agriculture, it is varied. So they get that, and they are negotiating professional development.

"I tell them, `Talk to your employer'. It is all about negotiating together for the benefit of employee and employer."

It was all positive, she said, and the students could see that.

On the downside, research was showing that an increasing number of students were not taking responsibility for their own learning.

"The bright ones do. They take all opportunities. Step one is to come to lectures. Lecturers are there to help with understanding. But with open entry into degree courses, there is always a long tail, and we feel sad about the students we never see."

Prof Rowarth said her job was not to get everyone to pass everything, but to encourage students to do their best. Science and agriculture opened doors, and students realised that and wanted to be part of a successful industry.

- © Fairfax NZ News