Primary industry leaders call for Gen Z to secure the future of the sector

A university well-known for championing food and fibre sector careers is Massey University. Photo / Supplied

New Zealand's food and fibre sector is working hard to secure the future of the primary industries by trying to attract more young people to choose a career in the sector.

The key to attracting Generation Z, loosely defined as those born between 1995 and 2010, to the sector is raising awareness of opportunities and the range of roles available in the industry, experts say.

Kellogg Rural Leadership scholar Madison Pannett, who now works for the Ministry of Primary Industries as a senior adviser in the Animal Welfare Liaison team, released a report on this subject called Generation Z and the environment – how can we use their passion to attract them into food and fibre sector careers?

She says: "I have found my journey into the sector so personally rewarding, so I was keen to explore how to inspire young people to join.

"From my research, I found that Gen Z mainly associates the food and fibre sector careers with roles on-farm and not with the wider opportunities that are available, [so] sector leaders need to tell the story of the scope of rewarding and diverse roles available."

A university well-known for championing food and fibre sector careers is Massey University. Based on the QS World University Ranking system, Massey is ranked number one in New Zealand and second in the Southern Hemisphere for its agricultural programme of study.

Massey's head of the School of Agriculture and Environment, Paul Kenyon, says the university has a wide range of study options that cover the spectrum from pre to post the farm gate, encompassing animal health and welfare, and the environment - all key interest areas for Gen Z.

Kellogg Rural Leadership scholar Madison Pannett now works for the Ministry of Primary Industries as a Senior Adviser in the Animal Welfare Liaison team. Photo / Supplied

"What sets us apart is the fact that we have many disciplines together on one site that individually contribute to our agricultural ranking. Obviously, there is our agricultural programme of study, but we also have horticulture, animal science, agribusiness, environmental science, earth science, ecology, food science, and veterinary science, with all groups working together collaboratively."

He says the job prospects are so good for agricultural tertiary students, that they need more students to meet industry demand.

"Many of our students have roles confirmed halfway through their last year and the majority have roles confirmed before the end of their last year."

Massey University alumni include chief executive of Beef + Lamb NZ Sam McIvor and MyFarm Ltd chief executive Andrew Watters. Another notable Massey University alum is food technologist Hannah Wood who is now paving the way for New Zealand's gelato scene with her award-winning business Little 'Lato.

She says she was unsure about what she wanted to do after school, but a representative from Massey University inspired her to study food technology there.

"I think food technology was a great platform for learning about different areas [of the sector], and everything you do is going to give you a breadth of experience that will help you. The ultimate goal would be to bring authentic gelato to New Zealand and get people on the bandwagon."

Massey's 2021 Agriculture Student of the Year Ben Crane is a fierce advocate for Massey's agricultural programme. Originally from urban Taranaki, he had zero experience in agriculture and his first glimpse into the field stemmed from being part of his school's trial of the NCEA Agribusiness courses.

Massey University 2021 Agriculture Student of the Year Ben Crane is a strong advocate for the university's agricultural programme. Photo / Supplied

He says his first piece of advice for school leavers or anyone that is unsure about exactly what degree to do, is to choose something that is so broad they can work in any sector or business.

"As a school leaver, or anyone in fact, you are highly likely to be a different person when you finish your degree. Agribusiness allows you to complete a wide range of papers giving you the ability to pick up an understanding of business and science topics."

Ben was a part of DairyNZ's scholarship programme during his degree which led him to the opportunity to be the student representative for the NZ Institute of Primary Industry Management.

Recently, he has been awarded the graduate placement for H&T Agronomics where he will begin his journey to becoming a qualified forage and crop advisor, following his strong passion for the seeds industry.

To check out how other young people are making their way in the food and fibre sector, head to the This Working Life channel on Fieldays TV at fieldaysonline.co.nz. To explore Massey University's programme of study click here.