The main purpose of the IRE Agricultural Worldwide Program is to help young people achieve agricultural experience in another country.
Our Program is intended to allow participants to gain knowledge and to learn different agricultural ways, especially new or different practices of agriculture to that of their home country.
IRE offers placements across the following industries dependent upon the level of experience trainee’s.
- Agriculture – broad acre cropping, irrigated cropping, dairy, sheep, beef, mixed
- Horticulture – nursery, cut flowers, vegetables and tropical fruit
- Agri-mix – working inside the home and out on the farm
- Apiary – queen bee and honey production
Participants in the IRE Program must meet the following requirements:
- Single and aged between 18 and 30.
- Have at least one years experience in their area of placement choice, have been studying in their chosen field or from a farming background.
- Be able to understand and communicate in English.
- Hold a current drivers license and have an international driving permit.
- Be fit and healthy.
- Commit to a placement for 3 to 12 months.
IRE seeks keen hosts, either family or corporate, to provide trainees with
- A worthwhile training experience by providing a variety of learning tasks
- An involvement in family and community activities
- Encouragement and assistance to improve their language skills where English is not a trainee's first language
- Suitable accommodation by way of a separate residence, a home shared with other employee’s/trainee’s or a donga/cabin
- Wages in accordance with the National minimum or the appropriate Award your enterprise is under
If you wish to become an IRE host, please complete the online application. This information is used to create a host family Placement Advice which gives potential trainee's and their families a summary of where they are going and information on their accommodation, farm operation, equipment, expected duties and location. More is better when it comes to the information you provide. IRE also encourages hosts to forward through photo’s of farm, family, machinery and trainee accommodation.
Our intakes are March, July and September as we find this fits in with the Australian farming system. We do regularly have trainees that arrive out of these dates and this depends on the needs of the host and trainees.
Before being accepted into our Program, trainees are screened by their home organisation with regards to their practical experience and/or level of training.
Several applicants are normally sent to hosts for them to choose who they think would best suit their business. Care is taken in matching up the needs and personalities of both the trainee and hosts in the placement process.
Once a placement is confirmed by both host and trainee we then start the visa process and liaise with hosts regarding flights into Australia.