Bowen Agricultural Education Centre Close To Completion

North Queensland’s “heart of agriculture training” is slated for completion this month.

The new $3.4 million TAFE Agriculture Centre of Excellence (ACoE) in Bowen – a state-of-the-art facility set to train and prepare Queensland’s agrarian workforce – is taking shape, with the local construction firm, Lowcock Builders, expecting an end of October completion.

Announced all the way back in 2020, the new centre has promised to offer more than 70 courses related to the industry, including mixed virtual reality rooms, science laboratories, and even “farmbots” – a teaching tool that splices together robotics, nutrition, soil science, biology, and coding to educate agricultural students.

Helping trainees and apprentices develop “the skills they need to ensure Queensland is ready to capitalise on industry growth” are its main priorities, according to Minister for Employment and Small Business and Minister for Training and Skills Development the Honourable Di Farmer.

“Bowen is a prime location for agriculture training and industry expansion and highlights North Queensland as a great place to work, live and invest,” Minister Farmer said.

In addition to general learning and workshop areas, the Centre of Excellence will feature a Smart Centre for data analysation and computerised training technologies, the virtual reality room – which will provide advanced tech for emerging industry needs - and a Growpod for monitoring stable growing environments and producing horticultural and agricultural products in all climates.

With the building itself set for completion this month, the first load of students are still a ways away, with delivery of courses being anticipated to commence in early 2023.

Those will include accredited and non-accredited (micro-credentials and skill sets) in agriculture, including Production Horticulture, AgriBusiness Management, Rural Operations, Cyber Security, and Laboratory Technologies.

Bowen Chamber of Commerce President Bruce Hedditch echoed Minister Farmer’s sentiments: “Bowen is the perfect place for this.”

“It will broaden the educations options for students in Bowen, but most importantly it will bring students here to put down their own roots,” Mr Hedditch said.

“To be in rural areas where the industry is, that’s what this is really about.”

Funding was granted through the Equipping TAFE for our Future Initiative – a program which is slated to invest $100 million over three years into skills development in priority industries.

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