Calgary high school students will get a chance to learn about agriculture – but not the Old MacDonald stereotype.
“We are looking for students who are interested in robotics, technology, business and problem solving,” said Jay Steeves, dean of the Werklund School of Agriculture Technology at Olds College, which is partnering with the Calgary Board of Education on a new course.
Grade 11 and 12 students will be able to take a “dual-credit” course, called Design Thinking in Agriculture, and use technologies such as robotics and 3D printing to “design, create, test and evaluate a prototype that addresses an issue in the booming agriculture industry.”
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The course will be taught by an Olds College instructor and students who complete the course will earn five high school credits and three post-secondary credits.
Experts predict that rapid advances in ag technology will lead to a huge shortage of workers with technical skills.
“Agriculture is an exciting industry that offers many career opportunities that include both urban and rural settings,” Steeves said in a news release. “Agriculture offers careers with corporations in downtown Calgary to careers in rural farm settings.”
The Calgary Board of Education oversees 250 schools with more than 131,000 students.
