Bowen TAFE’s state-of-the-art Agricultural Centre of Excellence was officially opened today in a major boost for North Queensland’s agricultural sector to help upskill its workforce.
Minister for Training and Skills Development Di Farmer said the $3.4 million upgrade to Bowen TAFE would provide exciting learning opportunities, skills, and pathways for students.
“This is one of a number of TAFE projects the Palaszczuk Government is delivering in Northern Queensland, and throughout Queensland in the next year,” Ms Farmer said.
Minister for Agriculture Industry Development and Fisheries, and Minister for Rural Communities Mark Furner said Bowen is a prime location for training to help prepare Queensland’s workforce for the anticipated growth in the state’s $23.5 billion agriculture industry.
“The Palaszczuk Government will continue to invest in ensuring we equip TAFE Queensland with the facilities to ensure the development of a world-class workforce,” Mr Furner said.
“We made a commitment during the 2020 election campaign to create significant training facilities for agriculture, and this Agricultural Centre of Excellence delivers on that promise.
“We are working with the agricultural industry every day to support our farmers and this is another way that we are helping them grow.”
Ms Farmer said since 2017, the Palaszczuk Government has invested almost $280 million in building new and upgrading existing training facilities across Queensland, including around $40 million invested in the North Queensland region.
“The agriculture industry is one of our priority sectors with potential for great growth and will play an important role in diversifying Queensland’s economy and creating jobs,” she said.
“The new facility here in Bowen will provide specialist training to cater for the emerging technologies in the agriculture industry as we look to the current and future skills needs.
“In addition to general learning and workshop areas, the Agricultural Centre of Excellence will feature a Smart Centre for data analysation and computerised training technologies.
“There is a virtual reality room providing advanced technology for emerging industry needs and a science lab.
“The advanced technology includes a Farmbot for robotics, nutrition, soil science, biology and coding; and there’s a Growpod for monitoring stable growing environments and producing horticultural and agricultural products in all climates.
“Using remotely monitored and controlled technology and devices, the Bowen facility will be able to connect to the Rural Centre of Excellence on the Toowoomba TAFE campus.
“The new centre will enable TAFE Queensland to deliver Agriculture programs for the very first time at the Bowen campus.
“Local residents can choose to train in study areas including Agriculture; Production Horticulture, Rural Operations, Cyber Security and Laboratory Technologies.
“Eligible students will also have the opportunity to choose from a variety of qualifications available within Fee-Free TAFE funding including the Certificate III in Rural Operations and Certificate III in Agriculture.”
Jobs Queensland predicts agriculture industry jobs in the Mackay-Isaac-Whitsunday and Townsville regions will increase by more than 10 per cent from 2020-21 to 2024-25 employing more than 10,300 workers.
By 2024-25 it’s predicted the industry workforce, state-wide, will grow to more than 87,000 – up 8,700 since 2020-21 and the Queensland Agriculture Industry Workforce Plan 2022-2027 has identified the four priority groups for future employment growth as grazing, horticulture, crops and aquaculture.
“The anticipated growth is great news for students and a highly skilled workforce is great news for employers,” Ms Farmer said.
The Bowen TAFE upgrade was funded by the Queensland Government’s Equipping TAFE for our Future initiative, a $100 million investment over three years from 2021 to 2024 to support skills development in priority industries such as manufacturing, trades training, defence, renewable energy, resources, agriculture, and aquaculture.
Work on the project was completed by QBuild and Bowen-based Lowcock Builders with BEAT Architects, as the principal design consultant.
