RuralBiz Training ensures anyone embarking on a career in agriculture has the training they need.
Story Kirsty McKenzie Photo RuralBiz Training
There was nothing in Jacob Moriarty’s family background to propel him into a career on the land, but even as a young school leaver, Jacob knew that’s where he was headed. Determination, drive and an accidental detour on his Facebook feed have taken the 29-year-old to his current position as a sales agronomist for SwitchAg in Cowra in the NSW Central West, having left school at the end year 10.
Jacob initially took a job as a farmhand on a veggie farm, then moved to another farm to broaden his experience with cropping and livestock. “I was ambitious to grow my career,” he says. “That opportunity came when an ad for RuralBiz Training popped up on Facebook.”
Jacob completed a Diploma of Agriculture and then went on to do a Diploma of Applied Agriculture through the national training organisation, which offers practical online courses in agriculture, agribusiness, agronomy, horticulture, and community group coordination and facilitation. As well, there are shorter, face-to-face courses in subjects such as chemical handling, faecal worm egg counting and meat evaluation.
As RuralBiz Training’s course manager Lucy Powell explains from her home base at Julia Creek in north-western Queensland, RuralBiz Training is the only private training organisation specialising in agriculture. It’s been approved by the Commonwealth Government for VET student loans, which means students can do their training with no upfront costs. The business also assists students in applying for state government subsidies that, in some cases, make the courses fee-free or substantially reduced. There is also an opportunity for students to apply for recognition of prior learning, an assessment of their current agricultural skills and knowledge that helps fast-track their course.
This story excerpt is from issue #164
Outback Magazine: Dec/Jan 2026
