Overview
- The Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) has supported the AgriFutures Horizon Scholarship Program for more than 15 years, investing in over 65 scholars and helping build the next generation of talent for Australian agriculture.
- GRDC highlights industry placements as one of the most valuable elements of the Horizon Scholarship Program, giving students firsthand exposure to careers and opportunities they may not have otherwise discovered.
- The article highlights how the Horizon Scholarship Program is helping develop a skilled, connected and capable workforce by attracting talent from beyond traditional agricultural pathways.
GRDC's experience as a long-term Horizon Scholarship sponsor demonstrates that the value of investing in emerging talent extends far beyond financial support. Through the Program, scholars gain industry connections, real-world experience and professional development opportunities that help build the skilled, connected and capable workforce Australian agriculture needs for the future.
For GRDC, one of the most valuable aspects of the program is the industry placement component, which provides students with real-world experience and exposure to career opportunities they may not have otherwise encountered.
GRDC's Capacity and Extension Manager, Katelyn Lubcke, praised the structure of the Program.
"Giving the students access to industry placements is probably the most valuable part because we're opening the doorway into what a career in our industry might look like," Katelyn said.
"We see so many students finish placement and say, 'I didn't know that that was an opportunity. I didn't know that job existed'."
The placements, combined with professional development and networking opportunities, help students better understand where their skills and interests can fit within agriculture.
For sponsors, the program also provides a unique opportunity to connect with emerging talent and build a future workforce equipped to tackle increasingly complex industry challenges.
"This year's cohort is more diverse than those GRDC has typically selected in the past," Katelyn explains.
"This year 50% of our cohort weren't grains focused in their application, some were more interested in engineering, business, economics and sustainability aspects.
"We have increasingly complex challenges in our sector, so we need a greater range of disciplines, skills, interests and backgrounds to actually solve those challenges."
That broader approach to scholarship selection has already delivered impressive results.
A standout example is former Horizon Scholar Jordy Kitsch, who participated in the program in 2014 while studying agricultural science at the University of Adelaide. Following the Scholarship,[SI1] he completed the AgriFutures Future Young Leaders Program and later founded Flux Robotics, a company developing robotic and AI-enabled weed detection technology.
"Jordy Kitsch is a really fantastic example of challenging the status quo," Katelyn said.
"They say the seven most expensive words in agriculture are 'we have always done it this way'; well Jordy came in and really wanted to challenge that."
For scholars, one of the most consistent pieces of feedback GRDC receives is the value of the industry placements, even when they discover a particular career path is not the right fit.
"If we have a scholar go and do an industry placement and call afterwards and say, that wasn't for me… that's actually not a loss to us and it's not a loss for that scholar," Katelyn explained.
"We actually need to go through this process of elimination of what they like, love and don't love so much. It's getting them one step closer to where they can envisage themselves in our industry."
GRDC also encourages scholars to maintain connections long after they complete the program, offering mentorship, advice and support as they progress through their careers.
"We're really big on encouraging scholars to come back to us throughout their career. They're still part of the GRDC network. They're still part of the family. We still want to hear from them," Katelyn said.
"If there's things we can do to support them, we want to know about it."
As agriculture continues to compete with other industries for talent, Katelyn believes investing in programs like The Horizon Scholarship is more important than ever.
"People can't be what they can't see," Katelyn explained.
"These types of programs are an entry point in a pathway to a career in our industry.
"If we're not investing in them, other sectors and other industries certainly are."
The program helps students discover new possibilities, build valuable connections and develop the skills needed to contribute to the future of Australian agriculture, while giving sponsors a meaningful role in developing the industry's future workforce.
