Stage 4
Technology Mandatory - Agriculture
Technology (Mandatory) develops in students an understanding of design and design processes and the technologies that can be employed to produce creative and innovative solutions to identified needs. It enables students to select and use materials, tools and techniques in a responsible and safe manner.
Stage 5
Elective - Agriculture
Students will experience aspects of an agricultural lifestyle through direct contact with plants and animals and a variety of outside activities. They explore the many and varied career opportunities in agriculture and its related service industries.
Students investigate the viability of Australian agriculture through the careful management of issues relating to the sustainability of agricultural systems, as well as the relationships between production, processing and consumption.
The study of a range of enterprises allows students to make responsible decisions about the appropriate use of agricultural technologies.
The essential content integrates the study of interactions, management and sustainability within the context of agricultural enterprises. These enterprises are characterised by the production and sale or exchange of agricultural goods or services, focusing on plants or animals or integrated plant/animal systems. The local environment will be considered in selecting enterprises, as will the intensive and extensive nature of the range of enterprises to be studied.
Students will spend approximately half of the course time on practical experiences related to the chosen enterprises, including fieldwork, small plot activities, laboratory work and visits to commercial farms and other parts of the production and marketing chain. The skills of designing, investigating, using technology and communicating will also be developed over the period of the course.
Stage 6
Elective - Primary Industries (Vocational Education and Training course)
The role vocational education and training (VET) courses play in helping students prepare for further education, training, employment and lifelong learning is widely recognised by key stakeholders in education.
Students in NSW have the option of studying VET courses at school or through TAFE NSW or other training providers.
NESA package and endorse courses based on qualifications from national Training Packages or accredited courses.
VET courses can only be delivered by registered training organisations (RTOs) that meet national standards and have the relevant qualification and units of competency on their scope of registration.
For NSW school students in Years 9–12 VET is ‘dual accredited'. Students receive recognition towards their school qualification (Record of School Achievement or HSC), as well as a nationally recognised VET qualification (Certificate or Statement of Attainment).
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Some VET courses include an HSC examination which provides the opportunity for students to have this HSC examination mark contribute towards the calculation of their Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR).