At Torsta Naturbruksgymnaisum in Ås, Krokom municipality, the number of students has steadily increased.
It is mainly the agricultural line that attracts.
- In 2020, we had 7 students who applied here, now we have 25, says Oscar Amrén who is the principal.
Torsta is part of Jämtland's upper secondary school association and has educations in agriculture, animal care, nature tourism and forestry.
- That it would go away like this, we had not dared to hope for.
But it's great fun that we are involved in populating the countryside.
That the young people dare to believe in the countryside and sparsely populated areas, says Amrén.
Nature management programs are generally increasing
It is not just Torsta who gets more students.
For several years, nature management programs around Sweden have seen a steady increase in the number of applicants.
Last year, the nature management program was the vocational program that increased the most compared with the year before.
At Green Employers, which represents member companies in areas such as agriculture and forestry, it is believed that this is due to several factors.
Among other things, schools have become better at marketing themselves.
This is something that the students at Torsta also point out:
- It's such a fun school.
I think the rumor goes and it gives rings on the water, says Ronja Gelliner who is in her second year on the agricultural line.
Not worried about future jobs
At the same time, there are major challenges in the industry.
The number of farmers is steadily declining in Sweden and now at the end, among other things, higher diesel prices have hit the industry hard.
But among the students we meet at Torsta, people are not particularly worried.
Last year, for example, everyone who took the student got a job immediately.
- I'm already working.
I am an hourly employee on a farm so a job is probably not that difficult to get, says Matilda Handler who is in her second year.