A $5,000 bursary for two years of a student’s undergraduate degree, professional development opportunities, and a gateway to industry networks and leaders is just a snapshot of what is on offer for a 2018 AgriFutures™ Horizon Scholar.

The scholarship provides a professional development pathway for students, targeting specific skills and industry knowledge so they are career-ready when they graduate from university. Along with the bursary, scholars complete annual industry placements, which in the past has taken students as far as San Francisco. Scholars are exposed to a range of professional contacts and networks throughout their time in the program, including opportunities to attend industry events, gaining vital knowledge and insights into a range of rural industries.

Highlights of the 2018 AgriFutures™ Horizon Scholarship:

The scholarship is awarded to students in their first two years of an undergraduate degree. Students will have the chance to apply for a second scholarship for the final years of their degree

Students must be studying an agricultural related degree. Students studying Science, Technology, Engineering or Maths (STEM) degrees with a link to agriculture, or a selection of agriculture subjects, are also eligible to apply

In addition to industry scholarships, there are three additional and unique AgriFutures™ Horizon Scholarship scholarships on offer, sponsored by Westpac. These scholarships are available for students in their final two years of study within a banking or financial planning services discipline, including agribusiness, with a keen interest in agriculture

Successful 2018 scholars will also visit a school of their choice each year they are part of the program, enabling them to educate younger students about the agricultural sector and the career opportunities available.

Attracting young people to careers in rural industries is vital for the future Australian agriculture. John Harvey, Managing Director AgriFutures Australia, said that in order to build prosperous and sustainable rural industries, it is important to focus on the next generation of leaders.

“The population of China and south-east Asia in particular is rapidly growing, which offers opportunities to the agricultural sector, as well as a number of significant challenges. In order to feed this growing population, Australian agriculture has the potential to become a $100 billion industry by 2030.”

“In order to achieve this, we need to ensure a career in agriculture is an attractive prospect to the youth of Australia. We need to showcase the dynamic industries and diverse job opportunities to the younger generation, and the AgriFutures™ Horizon Scholarship is just one program out there helping to make this happen,” said Mr Harvey.

Interest in this year’s program has been significant, with over 300 expressions of interest received since applications opened in January. Applications close at 5.00pm AEDT Friday, 23 February 2018. Shortlisted applicants must be available for a telephone interview in March 2018, and scholarship recipients will be announced in May 2018.

More information, the online application form and full terms and conditions can be found at agrifutures.com.au/horizon