Smart Agriculture, Skilled Futures

Overview

The AgTech Tech Skills Hub was implemented to address training challenges for Queensland’s primary industries. High delivery costs and low participation made regional training challenging to sustain, which in turn affected the capability of local businesses and the strength of regional economies.  

Since it’s inception, more than 6,900 people have benefited from training delivered through the AgTech Skills Hub.  The Hub has addressed industry needs by offering flexible yet high quality training, providing options for regional businesses and industry that previously did not exist. 

Opportunity

Queensland’s primary industries face persistent and structural skilling constraints:

• High costs of delivery and low participation, particularly in regional and remote locations, reducing viability for traditional training models.
• Rapid emergence of new technologies (e.g., data-driven farming, automation, precision agriculture, and digital systems) creating skills gaps for both current workers and new entrants.
• A need for training that is industry-relevant, accessible, and scalable, without compromising quality or consistency across locations.

The challenge was to build a coordinated, sector-backed approach that could keep pace with technology change, attract learners, and translate training into real workforce outcomes for employers.

Solution

The AgTech Skills Hub offers a range of qualifications and study options that were developed in partnership with industry through a 15-member steering committee.  

Guided by industry expertise, the committee informed the development of a contemporary skills and roles framework aligned to the workforce needs of today and the future. This framework underpins targeted micro‑credentials, skillsets and accredited training pathways supporting Queensland’s aquaculture and agriculture industries, delivered through flexible, modern training approaches.

Micro-credentials offer targeted training, and students gain a recognised learning outcome and digital badge. Two entry-level qualification courses were also introduced to attract interest from school students and transitioning workers. These qualifications included the Certificate II in Aquaculture (SFI20119), and a tailored delivery of Certificate II Autonomous Technologies (1093NAT). 

In addition to the core AgTech training, there are also skill sets that offer upskilling in business functions such as cyber security. 

Collectively, this suite of pathways ensure that these industries have a healthy pipeline of workers to continue to drive Queensland’s Agriculture and Aquaculture industries into the future. 

Results

Since it’s inception, the AgTech Skills Hub has trained more than 6,900 school students, jobseekers, and existing industry workers across Queensland. It was also a top 3 finalist for the 2025 QTA Industry Collaboration Award. 

Strong uptake by existing and aspiring workers highlights demand for ongoing upskilling, while strong female participation demonstrates the AgTech Skills Hub’s role in supporting greater gender diversity across regional industries.

By trialling new delivery technologies and models, including immersive learning and online delivery, this collaboration has improved training efficiency, enhanced learner engagement and increased scalability, while generating evidence to inform future policy and investment decisions.

Future plans

The training developed by the AgTech Skills Hub will continue to support Queensland’s Agriculture and Aquaculture industries. The steering committee model will also ensure that the AgTech Skills Hub's training is reflective of industry needs and technologies into the future.