Gippsland schools and teachers are being invited to jump on board an industry program to attract more young people into careers in agrifoods. The East Gippsland Food Cluster is running a collaborative GIPPYAg program to link young people into the sector. The program will be kicked-off early next year to let young people know about job, career and entrepreneurial opportunities available in the agrifood sector. EGFC chief executive Nicola Watts said they were looking for between 10 and 15 primary and secondary teachers across Gippsland to participate in the project. Dr Watts said the program would apply across the curriculum including English, maths, technology, science and humanities. “We are very open to the innovative ideas and interests of participating schools and teachers and look forward to more inspiring case-studies emerging that demonstrate how stronger partnerships between industry and education can deliver win-wins all round,” Dr Watts said. GIPPYAg will offer schools and students a range of industry experiences, and access to people who are doing inspiring work in the sector. It will also lead to employment, traineeship and internship opportunities in Gippsland for school leavers and support a pool of next-generation employees and entrepreneurs. “We welcome early expressions of interest from teachers and schools who would like to participate in this pilot project,” Dr Watts said. “We know that schools are very busy places these days, so having a dedicated and experienced person leading this project will make it easier for educators to make industry connections, align industry experiences with their curriculum, and support them with relevant learning resources and activities.”
