Westpac Agri Futures Established To Help Young People Into Rural Careers

The importance of our primary industries has been recognised with a new sector to be included in the 2021 Ford Ranger New Zealand Rural Games.

The Rural Games will now include Westpac Agri Futures in association with Property Brokers and this is to be held on Friday 12th March in Palmerston North.

Westpac New Zealand General Manager Institutional & Business Banking, Simon Power said Agri Futures is all about encouraging the next generation into agriculture sector careers.

“The demand for staff across rural New Zealand has only grown since COVID-19, and Westpac understands the need to support efforts to encourage more Kiwis to enter the rural workforce.”

“There is a wide breadth of career opportunities available right now,” said Mr Power. “From dairy, horticulture, fencing, shepherding and shearing, through to arboriculture, apiculture, finance, science and increasingly Agri-tech which is particularly strong in the Manawatu.”

Property Brokers Chairman Tim Mordaunt said the rural economy is more buoyant now than it has been in decades.

“For those wanting to experience the ultimate Kiwi outdoor lifestyle, a career in the rural sector is unbeatable.”

New Zealand Rural Games Trust Chair, Margaret Kouvelis MNZM, said Westpac Agri Futures would have a heavy focus on industry bodies and those institutions that specialise in preparing youth for rural careers.

“In recent decades there has been a strong focus on careers in cities, and this has been to the detriment of rural New Zealand. It is time we brought some balance to the conversation, so young people understand the well-paid opportunities that are there right now.”

Westpac Agri Futures will run from 9 am to 1 pm on 12th March 2021 in The Square, Palmerston North. The event runs alongside the Allflex Clash of the Colleges in association with Inspire Net and Talent Central. Teams from 15 secondary schools across the mid and lower North Island compete in rural tasks to take home bragging rights in the juniors’ and seniors’ sections.

Alongside that is the STIHL TIMBERSPORTS® Ladies and Rookie Championships and the Rural Golf Challenge. That night is the Norwood New Zealand Rural Sports Awards, and on the Saturday and Sunday is the Ford Ranger New Zealand Rural Games.

The Westpac Agri Futures Day will (to date) host the following industry organisations:

· Beef + Lamb New Zealand

· Dairy NZ

· Fencing Contractors New Zealand

· HortNZ

· New Zealand Arboriculture Association

· New Zealand Shearing Association
 

· Southern North Island Forestry Association
 

And educational institutes:

· ACG Training
 

· Southern Institute of Technology (SIT)
 

· Talent Central

· UCOL

· Vertical HorizoNZ

To register your exhibit site please email: info@ruralgames.co.nz.

© Scoop Media