Sam’s journey
Sam’s first job in dairying was working on a farm part-time, while studying for a degree in commerce and agriculture. Since then, he’s worked his way up to manager of a dairy unit for Rakaia Island (near Oxford in Canterbury). He’s really pleased he chose a career path in dairy and, based on his own experiences, he’d love others to consider a career in the sector too.
Right behind you: DairyNZ’s GoDairy careers website – and Sam Kirk’s cows.
Sam was inspired by meeting farmers who were running successful dairy businesses and loving it. “At university we had the opportunity to visit farms and I got a lot out of those field trips and listening to the farmers we visited,” Sam says.
He’s driven by the opportunity to succeed and to own his own farm. “I love seeing healthy cows eating grass and producing quality milk, as well as working in a team to put all the factors of farming together and achieve great results.”
With the GoDairy website now up and running, getting into the sector (and achieving career goals like Sam’s) is even easier for others considering dairying as a vocation.
New careers website
Dairying’s world of opportunities offers varied and exciting roles ranging across dairy farming, agri-business and agriscience. The GoDairy website provides information on these and aims to help people identify why a dairy sector career may be ideal for them and what pathways they can take to get to where they want to go.
The website aims to attract people of any age and from both rural and urban backgrounds – from high school students, people in their 20s and people seeking a career change, to parents and teachers who might encourage people into the sector. It has information on the required school subjects, tertiary study and recommended training, plus links to job search sites and information on DairyNZ’s awards and scholarships.
As part of GoDairy’s information on the different job opportunities, there’s a fun quiz to help people pin down which career path would best suit them. The quiz ranks role types in order – selecting one job doesn’t mean doing it for a lifetime and skills are transferrable to other roles as a person progresses through their career.
If someone you know is considering a career in dairying, get them to check out the website – they can also read the profiles on young people like Sam who are achieving success in their dairy career. You’ll get an insight into growing your own future in dairy too.
This article was originally published in Inside Dairy June 2018
