Small town girl, big dreams
THIS week in Rural Weekly we caught up with Gemma Hartwig in Alberta, Canada.
She is a qualified diesel fitter, 2017 Young Apprentice of the Year, founder of She Can, and is currently working on an angus stud in Canada.
Living her dream of going to Canada, the 20-year-old is working with a family on Coulee Creek Farms in Alberta, a stark contrast to the beef cattle farm she grew up on in Dalby, southwest Queensland.
“I’ve been wanting to come to Canada for years, ever since I was in school. I decided to just pack up my things and go,” she said.
“I’m living with a family, they have four kids – six, four, three and 18 months.
“They have angus cattle and they also use it as a wedding venue.
“I help out when the weddings are on and I help out with cattle and do au pairing as well.
Gemma is a qualified diesel fitter. She started a schoolbased apprenticeship when she was just 14.
“I originally wanted to leave school and become a hairdresser in Year 10. I did a careers test and a mechanic came up as a suggestion,” she said.
“I did a week’s work experience in Year 10 with a local earth moving company in Dalby.
“At the end of it I asked them if they would be interested in taking on a school-based trainee. A week later they called the school and said they’d love to have me on.
For this and more get Rural Weekly in tomorrow’s The Chronicle.