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Food and Fibre Careers Day inspires students

By Bree Lambert

Jun 3, 2026

Rochester Secondary College Year 10 student Amon Riordan, Wool Handler Training Association shearer Sam Mackrill and Rochester Secondary College Year 9 student Hugh Acocks. Photo by Rechelle Zammit

Students from across Victoria recently gathered at the University of Melbourne Dookie Campus for the 2026 Food and Fibre Careers Day, the state’s largest careers event dedicated to agriculture, horticulture, agribusiness and AgTech.

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Students, including from Rochester Secondary College, participated in hands-on workshops, career exploration and live demonstrations.

The event was aimed at inspiring students in the food and fibre industries and welcomed students with a keen interest in agriculture from Years 9 to 12.

Campaspe Cohuna Local Learning and Employment Network project co-ordinator programs and partnerships Cath Elms said the careers day was important for students from Year 9 because they were starting career conversations and thinking about future subject selections or selecting VET courses.

Ms Elms said for students who might already be looking towards agriculture, the event gave them a broader view of what was available and opened their eyes to different areas.

Students explored themed learning hubs, including within the dairy industry, plant sciences and laboratory science, with each hub offering a selection of workshops for student groups to rotate through.

“To all be able to go to one spot and see so many different things in one day, where it’s ... quite a challenge to get out on to a dairy farm or out into a sheep farm or, you know, out to broadacre cropping or a vineyard,” Ms Elms said.

Wool Handler Training Association shearer Brandon Redfern and Rochester Secondary College Year 9 student Tahnee Bannister. Photo by Rechelle Zammit

“There’s so many different areas they can explore, so to go to one place, get a bus and get them there, and they’ve got ... so many different things to look at in one place.”

The event also involved a careers conversations workshop, a ‘speed dating’ exercise with different experts in agriculture.

“Students could go and sit with them, have a conversation, so they get that direct engagement with industry experts as well, which is always important,” Ms Elms said.