The drive for this new subject is a result of the primary industries need for 80 percent more tertiary qualified graduates to sustain the future of New Zealand’s largest export industry. 

DairyNZ and Beef + Lamb have estimated that 1200 graduates are required for the sector each year, but, only 250 or so are coming out of New Zealand universities. Today’s agribusinesses are sophisticated multi-million dollar businesses run by owners and employees who have the many skills that are required to run these enterprises. Agribusinesses want highly skilled and motivated young people with strong educational backgrounds aligned to the many specialist fields across the value chain.

Agribusiness is new to the New Zealand curriculum. In preparation for a nationwide rollout, seven lead schools were selected by St Paul’s (Hamilton), DairyNZ and Beef + Lamb to trial the curriculum and provide feedback in 2016. Christchurch Boys’ High school is one of these lead schools and is currently trialling Agribusiness at Year 12. 

“The feedback from these schools has created a programme that is innovative, engaging and meaningful and works within the secondary school environment.”

The Year 13 Agribusiness Course for 2017 is designed to provide students with a broad agribusiness experience. It covers concepts in agri-innovation, agri-science, agri-management and finance, and agri-marketing and economics which provides students with varied skills and knowledge that will enable opportunities in a range of careers in agribusiness and/or for study of agribusiness at tertiary level.