About Tocal

Tocal College (RTO 91166) provides training for school leavers and other people who are interested in a broad range of agricultural careers.

Training is incorporated into the agricultural activities occurring on Tocal's commercial farms. Students develop the skills and knowledge for a range of primary industries including beef cattle, dairying, horse breeding, rural business management, sheep production, poultry, cropping, precision farming, general agriculture and natural resource management.

The College also provides a caring environment that promotes both individual and team learning.

Renowned as a high quality training provider, Tocal College offers part-time and full-time agricultural courses, short courses, distance and flexible learning for Year 10, 11 or 12 school leavers and adults interested in careers in agriculture or in gaining credit towards a university degree.

The College is part of the Tocal Agricultural Centre - a Centre of Excellence within NSW Department of Primary Industries. It consists of the College, Regional Services and Regulatory programs, Tocal Field Days and Tocal Homestead. The Hunter Local Land Services (LLS) is also located at the Tocal College, CB Alexander Campus.

Tocal College has a southern campus - Yanco Campus - formerly known as the Murrumbidgee Rural Studies Centre (MRSC). It is located at the NSW DPI Yanco Agricultural Institute near Leeton, and provides a wide range of skills training courses, traineeships, and the Aboriginal Rural Training Program (ARTP).

Tocal commercial farms

CB Alexander Campus, Tocal operates commercial farms that provide ideal practical training for students. These farms run up to the following numbers of stock, depending on season and market conditions:

  • 1,400 beef cattle
  • 110 Australian stock horses
  • 300 dairy cows
  • 300 Dohne ewes
  • 85,000 range-egg laying hens

The Tocal farms are managed under the same conditions as other commercial farming enterprises.

A network of cooperating farmers throughout NSW and Queensland support full-time students in gaining practical farm experience.

On-campus living

As well as extensive training facilities, Tocal provides a supportive environment for students. Student facilities include indoor sports and social venues, single bedroom or motel style units, swimming pool, football oval, tennis courts, student shop and a well equipped library. Students are also involved in local sporting competitions and numerous community activities.

Where students come from

Tocal students come from all over New South Wales and occasionally interstate. Many are rural students, often from family farms, but an equally significant number are from urban centres and have a limited agricultural background.

Career paths

Tocal graduates get jobs! They are in demand by employers because they receive a firm foundation in practical agriculture, industry experience, and develop good interpersonal skills. These fundamentals allow them to choose from a range of career paths.

Graduates enter careers on farms and in agri-business. Those that do well in the course may enter, or be quickly promoted into, supervision or management roles. Others pursue careers in education, research, business or environmental sectors.

Tocal College equips graduates with the skills and knowledge needed to adapt to change, gain promotion, and explore new career options.

Credit and recognition

Tocal students may receive credit for a unit of competency gained at school, through TAFE or other educational providers, if it is deemed equivalent. They may also receive Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) for skills and knowledge they have gained through experience on farms they have worked on.

Credit and RPL, may mean some students do not have to complete some parts of the course. These students can use the time to gain additional skills and experience.

University articulation

Arrangements are in place for Tocal graduates to receive credit at most NSW universities that offer agriculture-related courses. Direct relationships exist with some regional universities. In most cases, these articulation arrangements involve a certain amount of credit towards a degree. This credit shortens the course time and reduces the cost of university studies.