Educational Pathway
For those wanting to develop a career in extension there are three main pathways that can be taken:
Enrol in a degree course with a strong extension component
Following the course it is important that new graduates seek employment in a role that involves extension. Many of the skills of extension workers are developed in the field by working with industry, communities and mentors.
The APEN Education, Training and Accreditation subcommittee have produced a document summarising the Undergraduate and Postgraduate courses in Australia that provide extension training - this document can be accessed here.
This document was produced as part of a review of extension-related education and training for both agriculture and natural resource management in Australia. This review is a work in progress and this document will be continually updated (with the aim of expanding beyond the Australian context). We ask APEN members to please contribute by adding courses or updating course details by contacting Rebecca Cross at r.cross@sydney.edu.au.
Do post-graduate training
Extension workers need to continually improve their skills. Those working in other disciplines may need to learn about extension. Post-graduate training provides an important means to achieve these goals. The training can take many forms including post-graduate diplomas, masters by coursework and doctorates.
The APEN Education, Training and Accreditation subcommittee have produced a document summarising the Undergraduate and Postgraduate courses in Australia that provide extension training - this document can be accessed here.
This document was produced as part of a review of extension-related education and training for both agriculture and natural resource management in Australia. This review is a work in progress and this document will be continually updated (with the aim of expanding beyond the Australian context). We ask APEN members to please contribute by adding courses or updating course details by contacting Rebecca Cross at r.cross@sydney.edu.au.
Join an organisation that can provide extension training
This is has been the most common pathway for people entering extension in the past but not always the best one. Organisations vary enormously in their ability to train new staff in extension. The quality of training and mentoring is critical to the effective development of the new extension worker so the choice of organisation is very important.
To compliment formal training APEN has a mentoring program for members.