Over the past week, Cotton Australia Regional Manager for the Darling Downs and Burnett,, Howard Coggan, has taken part in a range of student-focused activities aimed at highlighting career pathways and increasing awareness of the cotton industry — from attending the UQ Agricultural Science Society’s Beers 'n' Careers event to leading farm visits for school students across the Darling Downs for hands-on learning experiences.

From classroom to paddock

Year 10 students from West Moreton Anglican College visited ‘Poplar” at Evanslea, the dryland cotton farm of Ralph and Barb Grey, as part of the CRDC-funded Young People in Cotton research project. Led by Central Queensland University (CQU), the project is measuring students’ perceptions of the cotton industry before and after they engage in classroom learning and on-farm experiences.

The project gives students meaningful exposure to the cotton industry, helping build the next generation of rural leaders, skilled workers and informed advocates for agriculture. With labour shortages and limited succession planning identified in the CRDC Strategic Plan as ongoing challenges, this work is trialling tools to see how they influence student perceptions, awareness of career pathways, and interest in agriculture.

During the visit, students rode in a cotton picker harvesting the last of the refuge crop, observed feedlot manure being spread, and learned about biochar. Speakers included Ralph and Barb Grey, agronomist Liz Lobsey (Meteora Agronomy), CottonInfo Regional Extension Officer Annabel Twine, and Cotton Australia’s Howard Coggan.

Other schools participating in the Young People in Cotton project include Wee Waa High School, who visited the Kahl family farm; Farrer Memorial Agricultural High School, who visited James Pursehouse’s property at Breeza; and Caboolture State High School, who toured Mitch Brimblecombe’s farm in the Lockyer Valley. Also participating is Toowoomba Anglican School who are to visit a farm on 28^th May.

Beers 'n' Careers at UQ Gatton

Howard and Doug McCollum, Policy Officer - Research Direction and Stewardship attended Beers 'n' Careers, the annual networking event hosted by the UQ Agricultural Science Society at the Gatton campus. This year’s event attracted a record 80 students and featured 15 agribusinesses and industry groups, with Elders as the major sponsor.

The evening included a speed networking session, where students rotated between tables every 10 minutes, speaking directly with professionals about jobs and opportunities in agriculture. The event was organised by the UQ Agricultural Science Society, whose president, Piper Christensen, also works one day a week with Cotton Australia’s myBMP team.

Later in the week, Howard took on the role of tour guide for 20 Year 9 Agriculture students from Dalby State High School, who visited Steve and Bridget McVeigh’s farm before heading to the Queensland Cotton gin in Dalby. The students are learning about technology, sustainability and career opportunities in agriculture as part of their studies.

Howard rounded off the week by taking students from Fairholme College in Toowoomba to visit a local cotton farm and the Queensland Cotton gin in Cecil Plains