Course generates goals and skills
Afree professional development programme, Generate, aimed at upskilling agriculture professionals, begins in Morrinsville on Sunday, October 7.
The programme is free and leads to a nationally recognised Certificate in Rural Leadership.
A total of nine workshops cover aspects as varied as people skills to marketing. Sue Pothecary, a farmer and experienced facilitator, will present the Morrinsville programme.
‘‘I love seeing people achieve their goals – empowering people to realise their ambitions is extremely rewarding. Ultimately Generate will raise the skill level across the industry as a whole. In the short term Generate supports individuals to identify and achieve their goals, making them more effective as employers and employees and giving them the confidence to take on leadership roles within the community,’’ Mrs Pothecary said.
‘‘Their new skills often make a positive contribution in their personal lives.
‘‘Generate supports the development of people of all ages and at all stages in their careers. I have facilitated groups with people aged from 16 to 65; farm owners, those not in work and rural professionals – each have different reasons for participating.’’
Different groups had different dynamics but essentially Generate built confidence and skills, she said.
‘‘Each workshop is structured around a topic but I find that the discussion and networking that goes on within each group is equally valuable. I know that participants enjoy the social atmosphere of the workshops and sometimes learn without even realising it.’’
Beth De Groot, a Generate Cambridge graduate, was already clear about her personal and professional goals when she joined Generate. She valued the programme for the opportunity to focus on the steps and skills she needed to realise her ambitions.
‘‘Generate made me better able to communicate with people, it gave me more confidence to speak and express what I wanted to do in the future,’’ Mrs De Groot said.
A change of career from vet nurse in Whakatane took Mrs De Groot and her husband sharemilking in Waikato.
Now living on a family farm in Matakohe with her new baby, she plans to gain agribusiness skills and believes she will be able to balance her life as a mother with progress in her agricultural career.
‘‘The Generate programme has given me confidence and a range of skills. Learning more about the business side of farming is my next step, I will be able to make a valuable contribution to our farming business as well as enjoy being a mum.’’
Generate is a national programme delivered by Taratahi at centres around New Zealand.