Cotton Gap program returns to expand students' horizonsThe Australian cotton industr y is hoping to attract a new cohort of students to its relaunched Cotton Gap program, so they can experiencefarm life and explore the career pathway s available in agriculture.
Cotton Australia's Cotton Gap program is a future -focused industry program that expose s school leavers to the diverse range of careersavailable in the cotton industry.
The program was first launched in 2017, but it did n't run last year because of the impact drought and reduced water allocations had onjobs in rural industries.
Cotton Australia Education Coordinator Jenny Hughes said the relaunch of Cotton Gap engages with the next generation of workers, sothe industry can secure a skilled and enthusiastic workforce for seasons to come.
"The closure of international boarders due to the CO VID -19 pandemic will see thousands of students who had planned to trave l overseasfor a gap year now looking for alternate experiences here in Australia," Ms Hughes said.
Cotton Australia is currently seeking expressions of interest from growers to host y oung people on farm in 2021 as part of the CottonGap program.
"This is a great opportunity for the Australian cotton industry to attract a new group of students to experience farm life and all it has tooffer as a future career pathway," Ms Hughes said.
Ms Hughes said the first -hand experience for school leavers would deepen their overall understanding of the systems and processes inplace within agriculture.
"This is an opportunity for school leavers to break out of known constraints, get inspired, explore, act and rethink their future career path, "Ms Hughes said.
Matt Clearwater completed Cotton Gap on a property west of Moree, NSW, in 2017.
"Growing up in Canberra, I had no exposure to careers i n the cotton industry prior to joining Cotton Gap," Mr Clearwater said.
"The thing I enjoyed most about Cotton Gap was the opportunities to upskill throughout the year through informal on -farm lessons andformal certificates, such as those offered through AgSkilled. Everyone was friendly, happy to answer questions and offer help when I gotstuck. It was also a great way to meet people in the industry and establish connections," Mr Clearwater said.
"During my Cotton Gap experience, I was exposed to a rang e of enterprises and potential career paths. When I started, I didn't knowwhat I wanted to do in agriculture, but the more hands -on experience I got the more determined I was to pursue a career in agronomy."Mr Clearwater is now in his final year studyin g a Bachelor of Agriculture at the University of New England and has continued working onrural properties during his university breaks thanks to the connections he established during Cotton Gap. He is hoping to return to thecotton industry as an agronomi st after he completes his studies.
