CURRENT INQUIRY - Higher education and skills training to support future demand in agriculture and agribusiness in Australia

EDUCATION, EMPLOYMENT AND WORKPLACE RELATIONS INQUIRY - HIGHER EDUCATION AND SKILLS TRAINING TO SUPPORT FUTURE DEMAND IN AGRICULTURE AND AGRIBUSINESS IN AUSTRALIA

TERMS OF REFERENCE:

Higher education and skills training to support future demand in agriculture and agribusiness in Australia.

The terms of reference relate to the provision and content of higher education and skills training for agriculture, the adequacy of current educational arrangements in meeting the Australia's agricultural labour market needs, and the impact of any supply and demand discrepancies on business, research, and the economy more broadly.

Specifically, the committee will consider during the course of this inquiry:

The adequacy of funding and priority given by governments at the federal, state and territory level to agriculture and agribusiness higher education and vocational education and training;
The reasons and impacts of the decline in agricultural and related educational facilities;
Solutions to address the widening gap between skilled agricultural labour supply and demand;
The impacts of any shortage on agricultural research;
The economic impacts of labour shortages on Australia's export oriented agricultural industries;
The incorporation of animal welfare principles in agriculture education; and;
Other related matters.

The reporting date is 8 June 2012. For more details, go to: http://www.aph.gov.au/Senate/committee/eet_ctte/agribuisness/index.htm