THE farm mechanisation industry's need for skilled workers has been an agenda item for decades.
But despite enthusiastic approaches by industry players, pleas to educators have largely fallen on deaf ears.
The subject arose again at last week's FMIA annual general meeting.
Association chairman Brad Forrester urged members to continue to lobby for a better focus on agriculture-based training through tertiary education.
"We need this to continue, in order to develop skilled young people into our mechanisation industry," Mr Forrester said.
"Once these courses and training centres are developed it then starts at a younger age.
"Awareness through the high schools for these young people to understand at an early age the opportunities the mechanisation industry can offer.
"It's obviously an on-going battle, but it is one that I can assure you is at the forefront of our efforts as the FMIA."
Association executive officer John Henchy also didn't hold back in his report to members, saying the industry needed more well-educated people.
"The way technology is progressing we need the most talented individuals to help us support our customer base," Mr Henchy said.
"Despite this need, those who offer education and training don't seem to get the message.
"For example, to our knowledge, there is not one university in WA which offers any course, or part of a course, in farm mechanisation, despite the fact that we have been collecting data for more than 25 years.
"We also have had automated guidance and variable rate technology for nearly as long but the message has just not hit homer among these people (educators).
"At least with Vocational Education Training (VET) we have our Certificate III in Agricultural Mechanical technology but that too is behind the times in that it does not have s specific unit of precision agriculture, despite the fact than many of our members are now asking for a Certificate IV course, specifically in precision age.
"And there seems to be a move to do VET by colour (different brands).
"We are working on it."
Mr Henchy said the TAFE system had shown little interest "in our industry" and was being overshadowed by the emergence of private Rural Training Organisations who saw opportunities in the industry.