Year 13 Agri-BusinessPREREQUISITES:
Continuation to Level 3 requires the satisfactory completion of the Level 2 programme. As one of only 8 Agribusiness Centre's of Excellence across New Zealand, McGlashan is delighted to be offering this course in 2018 at Level 3. Students will gain a Centre of Excellence Certificate in Agribusiness in addition to their Level 2 and 3 NCEA qualifications. Please note that this is a two-year qualification and has other co-requisites such as Maths, English, and either commerce or science subjects. It may however, also be taken as a stand-alone NCEA subject without the co-requisites if class size permits.
COURSE CONTENT: The course is comprised of four learning strands: Agri-innovation, the study of innovative (bio) technologies and farm management practices that will ensure the future proofing of primary industries in New Zealand (i.e., food safety, climate change, the globalization of trade, loss of biodiversity) Agri-science, the study of scientific principles related to agriculture and horticulture and the acquisition of scientific skills necessary to sustain and improve New Zealand’s primary export products (food science, soil science and microbiology) Agri-management and finance, the study of buying and selling within the primary sector, and the running of a successful Agri business with regard to the market forces that influence supply and demand Agri-marketing, the study of successfully and appropriately marketing primary products with reference to the target consumer, how to ensure one secures the best market value, and sustainability in the supply-demand chain ASSESSMENT
There are four internal assessment tasks and a practice school examination. Externally assessed standards are examined nationally at the end of the year. NOTE: The course content will be supplemented by field trips, industry guest speakers, investigations and practical projects relating to the standards above, and will be run in collaboration with Columba College
FUTURE STUDIES / CAREER OPTIONS
In 2013 DairyNZ identified a major skills shortage in the agribusiness sector, with research showing that the industry needed 1250 tertiary qualified workers entering the field each year. By introducing academically rigorous Agribusiness courses to secondary school students, more of New Zealand’s brightest young minds will become inspired by the opportunities available in this sector and realise that career prospects are numerous and diverse. Besides the traditional Agricultural tertiary providers, graduating Agribusiness students can also enrol in Otago University’s Bachelor of Applied Science and Master of Applied Science programmes, with PhD possibilities beyond that. Careers could include: Vets, Stock Agents, Accountants, Animal Geneticists, Environmental Planners, Environmentalists, Business Managers, Rural Bankers, Farm Managers, Marketing Managers, Wine Makers, Soil Scientists, Agri-Marketers, Ecologists, Resource Managers, Orchardists, Rural Advisors, Economists and Agribusiness CEOs |