1 minute read
Students learn about rural careers
Last week, Golden Bay High School’s Year 9 and 10 students were visited by a line-up of locals to talk about rural careers.
To promote agriculture as a career, Alice Reilly, technical farm support person at the Rural Service Centre (RSC), initiated a panel of six people working in diverse on-farm or farm support roles, to talk about their jobs.
Advertisement
There are over a hundred dairy, beef, and sheep farms in Golden Bay. Agricultural production is exported, income comes into our community, and employment opportunities are created.
Sometimes there is a notion that farm work is for students who are “dummies” or “drop-outs” from school, which is entirely wrong. The speakers each gave a refreshingly positive presentation that should have dispelled any of these old myths.
The six people chosen were Carl Finnigan, head vet at RSC; Tim Muntwyler, agricultural contractor at Glenview Contracting; Emma Udell, herd manager at Hurst’s dairy farm; Tara Bint, vet nurse at RSC; myself – Joyce Wyllie, sheep farmer at Kaihoka; and Alice.
The questions presented to each of the panel members were: What is your job and how did you get into it? What skills/ knowledge do you need? What training have you had? What are the good parts and bad of the job?
Some of the panel had come from other careers. Carl was in the fitness industry before studying veterinary science. Alice milked cows after university and is moving back into farming. Tim is a mechanic, which is handy now he owns a few tractors. Emma became interested when she began relief milking while at high school, and now after time away and overseas she is back at the same shed she started in years ago. I got into farming because the vet married the farmer!
The reasons for enjoying the jobs were varied, but all spoke of the satisfaction of being with people – whether that is working in a team, assisting with a pet, planning and growing a crop together, or helping solve problems on a farm. Working with animals and being outside much of the time were another big part of the attraction, and there were also comments that new technology brings stimulating opportunities.
Much of the training is on the job, no matter what level of skill you start with. Emma added that “there is a good pathway in dairying to go up the ladder quickly”. A range of roles exist both on-farm and for farm support, like AI technician, shearing, wool handling, pest control, and planting trees.
The final question was, “What advice would you give anyone thinking about a career like yours?” Each person gave encouraging answers: “ask questions”, “find somewhere to get experience”, and “go for it”.
