The program that helped Ivy Considine and hundreds of other young people launch agricultural careers is facing closure, despite generating a $5.56 return for every dollar invested.

In the past year, the 18-year-old has travelled to Western Australia for a grains conference, to Victoria for training, and is about to head to Queensland for a beef event.

These are all opportunities that were not on her radar, made possible by her participation in the AgCAREERSTART program, a nationwide initiative aimed at encouraging young people to get a toe in the door of agriculture, in the form of a gap year.

She is one of hundreds of young people who participated in the pilot program, which faces an uncertain future as the initial funding runs out.

Ms Considine grew up near Ulladulla, before moving

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