How do agricultural industry school partnerships develop knowledge and skills for employment: a case study of educator and industry professionals’ perspectives

This paper explores the case of one agricultural–industry school partnership program delivered in Gippsland, Australia, to understand educators’ and industry professionals’ perspectives of how knowledge and skills for employment were developed. The program was designed to develop students’ knowledge about, and aspiration for, work in the agricultural industry. This research utilises a mixed-methods case study methodology with data analysed through frequency counts and thematic analysis. Surveys and semi-structured interviews were used with educators and industry participants, who participated in CQUniversity Australia’s Raising Aspirations in Careers and Education Gippsland project from 2021 to 2023. This research finds that the agricultural industry–school partnerships were able to develop student knowledge and skills for employment by increasing agricultural and career knowledge and skills, making connections for employment and ensuring learning was relevant and interesting. This was possible due to educators’ and industry professionals’ participation, and the facilitation of individualised programs. These findings provide a greater understanding of one agricultural education method, which may prove valuable for those seeking to implement similar programs. This research also supports the inclusion of agricultural industry–school partnerships in primary and secondary careers education, which requires further collaboration between education and agricultural stakeholders.