Federated Farmers Apprenticeship Dairy anniversary hosted in Stratford

Stratford hosted the first anniversary of the Federated Farmers Apprenticeship Dairy earlier this month.

With 18 of the new apprentices already on deck in Taranaki, the TET MultiSports Centre was the ideal venue as apprentices and local farmers joined Employment Minister Willie Jackson, Federated Farmers dairy chair Chris Lewis, and Primary ITO team members to mark the event.

Taranaki sharemilker and former dairy apprentice Owen Clegg shared his six career tips for the apprentices — including the importance of setting goals, picking good employers, completing study and getting involved in industry awards events.

Nationwide, around 60 apprentices have started in the first year, with 240 people and over 190 employers also registering their interest. Primary ITO chief executive Linda Sissons says it's good to celebrate getting on to farms in a dairy heartland like Taranaki.

"The benefits of a dairy farming career in the regions, like affordable living and short commutes, are obvious and there are real benefits to the regions from people joining communities."