$1.2m extra to expand Fruit in Schools
The Fruit in Schools programme will be expanded to include an extra 77 schools, benefiting an additional 13,000 students.
Northland secondary schoolers will get hands-on experience of quarrying, forestry and farming at the Northland Field Days.
Thirty two high schools students from Kaipara, Whangarei, Far North and Rodney districts will get a hands-on go at the controls of diggers, trucks and construction gear, and will glimpse the job opportunities in these industries.
This will be held on the Kaipara Vintage Machinery Club’s field days site on the Saturday of the event.
Alistair McIntyre, author of the children’s book Doug the Digger and founder of Youth into Industry, says he wanted to give Northland school leavers a look into career options.
“Students are given an opportunity to work alongside industry people in a safe worksite environment.”
He floated the idea with Kaipara Vintage Machinery Club members at the 2014 field days; the members were keen.
McIntrye and the club patron Bruce Galloway talked to the field days committee about hosting a careers open day at this year’s event.
A similar event ran last year at the Auckland Museum of Transport and Technology. “Thirty one eager students turned up who were so keen they ignored several rain showers to carry on with activities.”
Field days’ president Lew Duggan says the committee jumped at the idea, seeing it as a good way to get Northland youth into fast-growing industries.
“We already offer Northland youngsters scholarships to study farming, so the Youth Into Industry initiative was a perfect fit.”
Kaipara Vintage Machinery Club members will help as tutors and in support roes.
Students will operate mini-excavators and small plant and equipment, and learn about health and safety, workplace safety, weights and measures, and vehicle safety.
Industry personnel will talk about their expertise and help students do paperwork.
South Waikato farm manager Ben Purua’s amazing transformation from gang life to milking cows was rewarded with the Ahuwhenua Young Maori Farmer award last night.
Bankers have been making record profits in the last few years, but those aren’t the only records they’ve been breaking, says Federated Farmers vice president Richard McIntyre.
The 2023-24 season has been a roller coaster ride for Waikato dairy farmers, according to Federated Farmers dairy section chair, Mathew Zonderop.
Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) director general Ray Smith says job cuts announced this morning will not impact the way the Ministry is organised or merge business units.
Scales Corporation is acquiring a number of orchard assets from Bostock Group.
Family and solidarity shone through at the 75 years of Ferdon sale in Otorohanga last month.