Article content material
The Calgary Board of Training is partnering with Olds School to launch an agricultural know-how program for college students in grades 11 and 12.
Article content material
As world populations proceed to stretch meals manufacturing limits, officers say the brand new program goals to create extra effectivity in agriculture whereas additionally addressing a rising labor scarcity within the discipline.
Article content material
The primary providing might be launched as a night course at Nelson Mandela Excessive Faculty within the north-east of town, which gives agricultural know-how and design by means of CBE’s Distinctive Pathways programme.
College students will obtain twin credit score, incomes each highschool and faculty credit, as they find out about robotics, 3-D printing and pc science abilities.
“We see an actual area of interest that may must be stuffed within the subsequent few a long time in meals manufacturing, the place we use know-how to be extra environment friendly, and in order that we are able to sustain with world inhabitants development,” mentioned Jay Steeves, dean. for the Werklund Faculty of Agricultural Expertise at Olds School.
Article content material
“Agricultural know-how can present profession alternatives in each city and rural settings … from careers in farm environments to careers in downtown Calgary.”
Programs centered on abilities wanted to create agricultural effectivity
Steeves defined that autonomous autos from tractors to harvesters are shortly turning into a necessity on farms throughout the continent, particularly for smaller farming operations that could be quick on labor within the discipline.
And programs like agricultural know-how, he added, are the place college students will get the abilities they should create these efficiencies.
Ken Weipert, director of training for the CBE, mentioned the agricultural know-how program can even educate college students about knowledge administration for extra sustainable land use, crop manufacturing, higher evaluation of soils, fertilizers and extra environment friendly yields.
“That is going to be a extremely nice studying alternative for college students. And I do know we’ll proceed to broaden it over time.”
The primary course, ATI Design Pondering in Agriculture, might be launched in February. Taught by an Olds School school member, it would enable college students to discover design pondering, processes and methodologies in a project-based workforce surroundings.
Registration remains to be open by means of CBE, with roughly 20 college students enrolled to date.
eferguson@postmedia.com
