Elders

Agricultural & Horticultural

Early Career Programs

Elders is one of the most recognised names and most trusted brands in Australian agriculture. An ASX200 listed company, we’re honoured to have been helping Australian farmers and their communities since 1839, working towards a fairer, more productive, profitable and sustainable future.

With a head office in Adelaide, South Australia, today we have over 400 points of presence right across Australia.

We offer a suite of Early Career Programs across a number of fields designed for the next generation of agriculture professionals. Providing varied experiences across the Elders network, they enable participants to begin their pathway towards becoming future leaders of their chosen industry.

Rural Products Trainee Program

Are you passionate about agriculture and rural products that improve outcomes on-farm? Do you want to contribute to positive change in rural Australia and make farmers’ lives easier?  Do you like working with different people to solve problems? The Elders Rural Products Career Development Program is a 12-month entry-level program specifically designed to launch your career in rural product sales.

As part of the program, you’ll have the opportunity to work on real jobs, being mentored and guided by Elders’ experienced employees and leaders, to learn and practice effective selling and relationship-building techniques that reinforce Elders’ role as partners with its clients. You will gain a broad understanding of Elders and the agricultural industry, and upon completion of the program, you’ll have all the skills and knowledge necessary to move into a permanent role at Elders.

Locations: Australia wide

Program Structure

The Elders Rural Products Career Development Program runs for 12 months. The first half of the program focuses on building your foundational understanding of the industry, Elders and branch operations and getting you established within your role. In the second half of the program, we will work with you, focusing on farm supplies, animal health and crop protection products, so you can gain more specialised experience.

As the next generation of rural product sales agents, you’ll receive hands-on training, allowing you to apply your learnings to real jobs and make real contributions.

You’ll be given the tools, training, and experience to succeed in your career and make a difference in on-farm productivity.

Eligibility Requirements

At Elders, we work together to deliver exceptional outcomes for our customers and the communities in which we operate. 

While no qualifications are needed for this program, we are looking for people who are:

• Passionate about serving our customers and are motivated and willing to learn and develop
• Good communicators who can build rapport quickly with our client groups
• Resilient and adaptable to change and different environments.
• have some experience or familiarity with rural products and/or the agricultural industry
• an Australian or New Zealand citizen or Australian permanent resident – please note temporary visa holders are not eligible for the program.

We’re interested in people with diverse experience from diverse backgrounds who are passionate about building a career with Elders.

Learn about the early careers recruitment process here.

Livestock Trainee Program

Do you have a passion for livestock? Do you want to contribute to positive change for the industry and help to improve the businesses of livestock producers around the country?

The Elders Livestock Careers Development Program is an 18-month entry-level program specifically designed by our in-house livestock leaders to launch your career in the livestock industry, furthering your learning about livestock sales and marketing, as well as production and animal health.

Graduate Agronomy Program

Are you passionate about a career in agronomy? Would you relish the opportunity to work alongside and learn from some of the industry’s most knowledgeable agronomists in both the broadacre and horticulture sectors?

The Elders Graduate Agronomy Program is a two-year entry-level program specifically designed to launch your career as an agronomist, a trusted role providing leading advice to growers to improve their yields.

Within the program, you’ll be exposed to both horticulture and broadacre areas to expand your knowledge of each, as well as gain a broad understanding of Elders and the agricultural industry.

Program Structure

In the Graduate Agronomy Program, you will receive hands-on training from Elders’ industry experts and be able to put your learnings to use with the guidance of some of Australia’s leading agronomists.

The program runs for two years, beginning in February. You will go through two six-month rotations in your first year, which will focus on building your foundational understanding of crop segments and what it means to be an agronomist at Elders. This will be followed by one 12-month rotation in your second year, where you’ll have the opportunity to specialise in a crop segment on your choice.

The Graduate Agronomy Program prioritises hands-on training, allowing you to apply your learnings to real jobs and make real contributions. You’ll receive guidance and training from your branch’s experienced agronomists, as well as be assigned a mentor who will support you through the program, providing additional coaching and advice.

The program has a track record of cultivating some of the industry’s brightest young agronomists. By the end of the Elders Graduate Agronomy Program, you will have all the knowledge and skills needed to move into a permanent role in the Elders team.

Locations: Australia wide

Eligibility Requirements

To be eligible for entry into the Elders Graduate Agronomy Program, you’ll need to:

• Have graduated with a relevant university degree within the last three years
• be willing to relocate for program rotations (within home state)
• be an Australian or New Zealand citizen or Australian permanent resident – please note that temporary visa holders are not eligible for this program.

Learn about the early careers recruitment process.

Corporate Graduate Program

Applications are now open for the Elders Corporate Graduate Program, a two-year program designed to launch your career and give you the skills you’ll need to lead in agriculture and business. By joining Elders’ development-focused Corporate Graduate Program, you’ll be backed by over 180 years of award-winning industry experience.

Within the program, you’ll be exposed to four rotations, each lasting six months, exposing you to various roles with different focuses within your field. You’ll receive practical training from our leaders and be able to put your learnings to use, working to improve sustainability, customer experience and business efficiency. We’ll support you every step of the way with on-the-job experience, dedicated coaching and professional development.

Our program offers:

• Rotations and experiences in genuine roles, doing real work from day one
• Opportunities to create positive social impact in the communities in which we operate
• Learning and development opportunities designed to build critical skills
• Ongoing coaching, mentoring and exposure to experienced leaders
• A strong graduate cohort to support you every step of the way

Program Streams

We have five program streams available for our 2023 Corporate Graduate Program which include:

• Marketing and Communications
• Finance
• Human Resources
• Technology
• Finance and Operations

Eligibility Requirements

At Elders, we work together to deliver exceptional outcomes for our customers and the communities in which we operate. We’re interested in graduates with diverse experience from diverse backgrounds who are passionate about building a career with Elders.

To be eligible for entry into the Elders Graduate Agronomy Program, you’ll need to:

• Have graduated with a relevant university degree within the last three years
• Be willing to relocate to Adelaide or Perth (depending on stream)
• Be an Australian or New Zealand citizen or Australian permanent resident – please note that temporary visa holders are not eligible for this program.

Learn about the recruitment process here.

Working at Elders

The roles and places you can work for Elders vary enormously, but we share one set of values, many benefits and unite to form a strong alliance powered by the pink shirt.

Elders values

• Integrity – doing the right thing
• Accountability – owning the outcome
• Teamwork – using the power of the pink shirt team
• Customer focus –  partnering and adding value
• Innovation – embracing new ideas

Community is key at Elders, both the spirit of community within the workplace and supporting the community in which we live and work through our many community partnerships. Clients are so much more than just customers, they’re your neighbour, your netball/footy coach, your mate and you’re the one they can turn to for help when they need it. We strive to be innovative, and nothing is so important that it cannot be done safely. We value the land, and respect animals and one another, working for a more sustainable future. Watch this video to learn more about the ways Elders support the local community.

Employee benefits

We invest in our employees and offer a variety of benefits aimed at helping them maintain their physical, financial and mental well-being. As an employee, we want you to thrive and be proud to put on the pink shirt and bring your best self to work each day.

Career development

• On-the-job training
• Learning programs, including Leadership training
• Further education and financial support, including study leave

Community 

• Support your chosen charity through the Elders Give it program
• Paid volunteering leave
• Involvement in local community events, field days and fundraisers

Health and Wellbeing 

• Ongoing access to a range of wellbeing services for you and your family, including counselling, health coaching, financial coaching and more.
• Hardship support through our Staff Foundation

We invest in our staff to ensure everyone who joins Elders is set up to succeed – from training and conferences to industry experts within your reach, offering support and guidance. We want you to thrive and be proud to put on the pink shirt. When you join the Elders team, you have the backing of an iconic Australian agricultural brand and a team of passionate individuals supporting and challenging you on your journey.

Learn about the types of roles available at Elders here.

Meet Eboni

Eboni Knights, Trainee

Standing high above the pen of stirring cattle, Eboni Knights is at the epicentre of the sale, leaning on the rail alongside the auctioneer as he shouts a cascade of numbers and banters with the crowd.

Clipboard pressed against her pink shirt, Ms Knights jots down all the vital information that makes a cattle sale tick: pen, price, buyer and numbers.

The 26-year-old from Ballarat began an Elders traineeship 12 months ago after working in the thoroughbred industry, managing a property and a stint in sales.

“I think being able to get out there and work at a few places and really figure out what I want to do and begin this at what I call a ‘mature age’, although I’m not as young as some of the other trainees that life experience and bringing aspects of other jobs is valuable,” Ms Knights said.

Speaking of the trainee program, which sees participants work in a variety of roles, Ms Knights said she valued the insights it offered into agriculture and its people across different regions.

“No two days are the same,” she said. “It’s long hours, it’s hard work, it’s a lot to learn, but then, as with anything, you never stop learning.“It’s an opportunity to get out with very experienced agents who’ve been in the job for 30 or more years and soak up so much from people who are phenomenal at this job.”

That hard work has paid off, earning Ms Knights a permanent role as a livestock sales support officer with Elders just this month.

“There are so many opportunities with Elders, and I was pretty excited to land this job,” she said. “Part of my role at Ballarat is to get up on the rail and clerk sales, I do a lot of preparation for the store cattle sales, interfacing with online platforms, drafting on the farm and in the yards and everything in between.”

There were still plenty of misconceptions about the industry that Ms Knights would like to see change.

“I’d really like to see more women at the forefront in agriculture,” she said.

There’s little likely to stop Eboni Knights, who has set the goal of becoming a full-time livestock agent in the next five to 10 years.

“Beyond that, the sky’s the limit,” she said. “I think you should never say no to an opportunity because it may never come up again, and you don’t know unless you try.”

“The Elders network is pretty incredible, and so are the people you get to meet in the industry.”

Sustainable Development Goals

Recruitment Process

The recruitment process will consist of a combination of online, video and in-person assessments to ensure we match the best applicants to the right positions. The recruitment process for the 2024 intake is currently being finalised. Keep up to date with the latest on the Elder’s webpage and social media.

Step 1: Complete our easy application form

This is where you’ll get the chance to tell us about who you are and your skills and relevant experience. The form will take approximately 10 to 15 minutes to complete.

Handy tip: have your up-to-date resume ready, as you’ll need to upload it.

Step 2: Online assessment

Once we’ve had a look at your application, if you meet our eligibility criteria, we’ll invite you to complete an online assessment. You can take the online assessment at home or anywhere you have internet access.

The online assessment will measure your verbal, numerical and logical reasoning.

Handy tip: when completing your online assessment, make sure you’re free from distraction and have a good internet connection. Read the questions carefully. If you’re unfamiliar with these types of assessments, try some practice questions beforehand.

Step 3: Video interview

If you’re successful in the online assessment, you’ll move on to the next stage – a video interview. This stage gives us a deeper understanding of who you are and provides a great opportunity for you to share a little bit about yourself with us.

Once you log onto our secure site, you’ll be asked a few questions, and you’ll need to record your responses. You can do this at any time and anywhere you feel comfortable.

Prepare for your video interview by considering the various school, work, and life experiences you can draw on. Think about how you can make your experience relevant to the role you’re applying for.

Handy tip: let your personality shine through.

Step 4: Engagement centre

The final stage of the recruitment process is our engagement centre. Should you reach this stage, you’ll have the opportunity to demonstrate your skills by participating in a range of interactive activities. You’ll also be able to meet previous program participants and business leaders and find out more about the Elders Early Careers Programs.

Our engagement centres will be held in late August and early September and will be online, so you don’t need to travel to attend them in person. We’ll keep you updated once the dates are finalised.

If you’re successful, we’ll call you a few days after your engagement centre with the news.

Good luck! We’ll keep in touch throughout the selection process to let you know how your application is tracking.

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