Barossa viticulture apprentices in high demand

Faith Lutheran College, and Nuriootpa and Birdwood High School students visited Adelaide University during Barossa Australia’s “operational viticulture work experience week” in July. Image Barossa Winegrowers

There is currently opportunites for secondary school students to start working as apprentices in Barossa’s vineyards.

Around 20 Faith and Nuri High students have started school-based apprenticeships (SBATs) in viticulture in the past three years, following a push by Barossa Australia to ‘match’ Year 11 students with its grapegrower members after completing an “operational viticulture work experience week” in Year 10.

Students work as a SBAT one day a week to start with, working up to 3-4 days a week by the end of Year 12, as well as attending Tafe to complete their Cert III in Wine Industry Operations – which all counts towards their SACE.

“We currently have eight Barossa vineyard companies looking to take on SBATs this year, and students are already employed as apprentices at Henschke, FABAL, Dimchurch, Yalumba, AV&M and Torbreck as well as many smaller, generational family vineyard businesses,” said Barossa Australia Viticultural Development Manager Nicki Robins.

“With Barossa’s growing reputation as a world-renowned grape, wine and tourism region, we currently need more young people moving into the industry to manage Barossa’s precious vineyard resource.

“With plenty of jobs available it’s a really exciting time to join the industry. I’ve heard from the SA Careers Hub there are currently five jobs available for every university agriculture graduate.

Also, with the rise of AgTech such as GPS and drone technologies, robotics and engineering, as well as plant and soil science, young people with a huge variety of skills can now enter viticulture.”

Robins said that for young people with a positive attitude, strong work ethic, initiative, honesty, ability to work in a team and communication skills, the rise up the viticulture career pathway can be fairly rapid.

“A vineyard supervisor can earn up to $75,000 and vineyard managers around $100,000, sometimes plus a vehicle. It’s a great industry for people who enjoy working outdoors with like-minded people. You can also travel the world with viticulture,” Robins concluded.

 

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