Massey University to upskill teachers amid rising ag subject demand
There's been unprecedented demand from secondary school students across the country to study agricultural related subjects.
Lincoln University has launched an initiative to encourage Maori school leavers in Canterbury and the West Coast to train for careers in land-based industries.
It also provides support services if they do so. Known as Poutama Whenua ('Pathways into Land'), the initiative includes programmes provided by Lincoln University specifically targeting Maori students including vocational certificates and diplomas, all the way to undergraduate and postgraduate degrees.
Maori primary sector assets are key economic resources for whānau, hapu, iwi and Māori communities, but also come with challenges when looking to balance Māori collective aspirations for economic advancement next to kaitiakitanga (guardianship).
With the growing portfolio of Maori assets coupled with an increasing number of Maori businesses operating in a range of land-based commercial endeavours (such as dairy farming or eco-tourism), a diverse well-trained workforce is required. The aim of Poutama Whenua is to make a significant contribution to providing this workforce.
The Poutama Whenua initiative also includes programmes aimed at environmental management, with Maori increasingly called upon to provide expertise on issues of sustainability and resource management.
The Poutama Whenua approach supports Lincoln University's broader Whenua strategy; with its emphasis on positive transformation for Maori land, Maori communities and, ultimately, the Maori economy," says assistant vice-chancellor, communities, Professor Hirini Matunga.
"Upskilling young Māori to contribute to growing a diverse, thriving and sustainable primary sector has the potential to transform these individuals; including whānau and hapu that comprise these communities."
The next few months will see Mokowhiti Consultancy taking Poutama Whenua out to 26 schools with a high Maori student population.
An independent report, prepared for Alliance farmer shareholders is backing the proposed $250 million joint venture investment by Irish company Dawn Meats Group.
Whangarei field service technician, Bryce Dickson has cemented his place in John Deere’s history, becoming the first ever person to win an award for the third time at the annual Australian and New Zealand Technician of the Year Awards, announced at a gala dinner in Brisbane last night.
NZPork has appointed Auckland-based Paul Bucknell as its new chair.
The Government claims to have delivered on its election promise to protect productive farmland from emissions trading scheme (ETS) but red meat farmers aren’t happy.
Foot and Mouth Disease outbreaks could have a detrimental impact on any country's rural sector, as seen in the United Kingdom's 2000 outbreak that saw the compulsory slaughter of over six million animals.
The Ministry for the Environment is joining as a national award sponsor in the Ballance Farm Environment Awards (BFEA from next year).
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