Primed for a career
A new initiative aims to spark students’ interest in the primary sector, writes Dairy academy for the future
THE primary sector might be the chief driver of the export economy, but it continues to be a tough sell to convince young people to make a career as a farmer, forester or food technologist.
Forestry earns about $4 billion in exports, yet in 2013 there were only 14 forestry graduates compared to 24 who gained degrees in acupuncture.
The wine industry, with export earnings of $1.3b, ought to have appeal, but in the same year just six students graduated with a viticulture degree compared to 322 who graduated in sport and recreation.
Over the last 10 years, though, there has been an increase in the number of students graduating with primary industry qualifications, from 2298 to 2853.
Most of the rise was accounted for by students being awarded level 1-3 Certificates. Level 5-7 diploma graduates fell by about a third, and students graduating with degrees dropped fractionally. The figures do not differentiate between New Zealand and foreign students.
Recognising there was still a problem, Turakina sheep and beef farmer Richard Redmayne has persuaded Wanganui Collegiate School (WCS) to team up with Massey University and Food HQ to create a ‘‘global food value chain’’ programme.
With three of his children attending the school, Redmayne has more than a professional interest in the subject.
It was the business he has set up in recent years marketing lamb under the ‘‘coastal spring lamb’’ trademark that convinced him of the need for a new generation to be made aware of the possibilities of a primary sector career.
‘‘I was influenced by marketing the lamb and inspired by the opportunities. It got me replaying my own education – I would have been enlightened about those opportunities much earlier,’’ Redmayne says.
Scholarships to attend Massey are just part of the programme. It will also try to forge closer links between Wanganui Collegiate and education providers.
Students will visit companies such as Fonterra to gain an appreciation of the work that goes into making a product, from collecting milk off the farm through to processing it.
They will then learn about marketing, distribution, waste, and energy conservation.
Food HQ chief executive Mark Ward says New Zealand undersells scientific and primary sector careers.
Set up in 2013, Food HQ is an umbrella organisation which coordinates the work of scientists from AgResearch, Plant and Food Research, the Cawthron Institute, Massey and others.
In total there are more than 2200 researchers, educators, PhD students and business developers in what is described as New Zealand’s largest food innovation centre. Fonterra alone has 400 personnel based at Palmerston North.
‘‘Primary industries don’t have a brand and yet it should be as CHINESE company Shanghai Pengxin Group and Landcorp will train 10 students a year in a dairy academy near Taupo.
The training will be delivered by Taratahi Agricultural Training Centre, with tuition and accommodation paid for.
Shanghai Pengxin will also offer a scholarship of $10,000 to one student a year, above the tuition and accommodation funding.
The president of Overseas Investment for Pengxin Group, Terry Lee, said there was a glorious a brand as the All Blacks,’’ Ward says.
Wanganui Collegiate principal Chris Moller believes the initiative is an important one because it has been formalised.
Schools often make noises about wanting to work with other institutions but in this case the shortage of skilled people in midmanagement level roles, such as herd or production managers.
The academy will operate on the Ariki Dairy Unit, currently owned by Pengxin, in the Wairakei District, near Taupo.
Students will live in housing on nearby Landcorp or Shanghai Pengxin farms and combine classroom study with working on the Ariki dairy farm.
Following the course, students have the possibility of working as herd managers or dairy production managers on school has signed a partnership agreement which will make things happen, he says.
The programme will appeal to students because it is related to the real world.
‘‘They will learn about what’s involved in getting a product into an overseas market like Hong Landcorp or Shanghai Pengxin farms.
It is open to 20–25 year-olds who hold NCEA Level 3 or Certificate in Agriculture Level 4 and must have qualified for university entrance (or be at least 20 years of age and have a minimum of one year full time farming experience), or completed tertiary study in Agriculture at Level 3 or above and achieved merit or higher grades Applications close on November 23, with the academy start date February 15. Kong,’’ he says.
Students will be well prepared because of the focus the school places on science.
It was not unusual for students to learn three science subjects since WCS offered a more traditional curriculum to many other schools.
Gerard Hutching.