Farrer Memorial Agricultural High School student Keagan Size is one of only three students who are finalists in the NSW VET in Schools Student of the Year and will compete at the State Training Awards in Sydney on September 9.

Keagan is completing the primary industry core, primary industry beef and primary industry traineeship courses while studying for the HSC at Farrer and is also enrolled at TAFE studying metals engineering certificate II.

“I’m pretty excited to say the least,” he said.

“It’s a pretty big thing to be in and flying the flag for primary industries and agriculture.”

The accolades don’t end there with Keagan also a finalist in the National WorldSkills Competition – only one of four students in the country in the primary industries section and the only male.

He will travel to Perth to compete over September 18 to 20.

“Fencing is a huge component as well as tractor driving, chemical ratios, calibrating boom sprays, WHS, first aid and livestock handling,” he said.

He said the three-day competition entailed pretty much everything involved in working on a property.

If eligible, medallists from the national competition may be offered a position on the 2015 Team Australian Skillaroos to compete in Brazil.

“In the VET awards, I like my chances, simply because I’ve got a range and diverse skills base and I know my field in the agricultural industry, which took a bit of explaining to the panel, with none of them coming from an agricultural background,” he said.

“In the WorldSkills, there’s stiff competition, just from the competitors going from NSW. Knowing a few of the girls on the team, they’re not going to be slouches, but you just see how you do it on the day.”

Keagan, while not directly off the land, said he had family with property and already had a job lined up in the Northern Territory next year.

He will be working as a young jackaroo and do a “fair bit of everything”.

“You get to learn everything, get to have a go at everything and you’re not just set to one job,” he said.