Doug Leeder: Attracting dairying staff is a challenge

During the past couple of weeks, you may have spotted Dairy InSight's recruitment campaign on TV or in the newspapers.

This is the third successive year the organisation, buoyed by positive feedback, has invested in a major promotional campaign.

Like its predecessors, this year's campaign raises awareness of the dairy industry and its massive contribution to the national economy.

This time, however, following market research and dairy-farmer feedback, its focus is on promoting dairying as a place to work and pursue a lifestyle. The series' theme is "dairy farming for a real change".

Attracting staff is often cited by dairy farmers as one of their major business challenges.

Not only is the dairy sector contending with the tightest labour market in 20 years, but it is also paddling against the tide of long-term urban drift and facing stiff competition from other industries - notably the booming construction and roading sectors.

The dairy industry needs to work harder and smarter than others just to retain its workforce, let alone to increase it.

A Lincoln University study, Future Dairy Farm Employment, has estimated that by 2030 the dairy industry will require 25,500 staff equivalents.

This may not seem too daunting (it is only slightly less than the total number of people identifying themselves as working in the dairy industry in the 2001 census), that is, until other factors impacting on the dairy industry are considered. Supply is set to diminish. The number of school leavers entering tertiary education or the workforce is forecast to peak in 2008 and begin to fall.

The type of workforce required by dairying is also likely to change.

Well before 2030 the dairy industry will require greater skills and personal attributes in its workforce as technology gears up and dairyfarming becomes increasingly sophisticated.

Public awareness of the importance of agriculture and dairying to our national well-being is not high enough.

The campaign stresses this contribution and the fact that working on a dairy farm means being part of New Zealand's number one export industry.

Farmer feedback has also signalled the need to promote all the different career opportunities in dairying - ie beyond owning a dairy farm or share-milking.

So, Dairy InSight has made a point of profiling real dairy people across the range of employment opportunities - from farm assistant to farm manager to farm owner.

It has also showcased people who have actively taken a career and lifestyle shift into dairying and never looked back.

The campaign profiles people of varied backgrounds such as a mechanic, pharmacy manager, nurse, avionics technician and international rower.

It is their genuine enthusiasm and experiences that bring the adverts to life.

Lifestyle is another important theme. It is a critical point of difference with urban-based careers. Sure, dairying can be hard work and we need to acknowledge that.

But it can also be extremely rewarding financially and in terms of family lifestyle. Unfortunately, not enough New Zealanders are aware of these opportunities.

We need to make dairying "top of mind" for those considering change.

This campaign represents only a thin slice of Dairy InSight's annual $40 million investment, most of which is channelled into more traditional industry-good activities, such as research and development or disease management such as tuberculosis eradication.

This year's campaign will continue through February and March.

For more information on a career in dairying ring 0800 GO DAIRY.

* Doug Leeder is chairman of Dairy InSight.