Shaping the next generation of dairy farmers

Career paths come in many different forms, and for some Canterbury teenagers, their journey is being shaped by hands-on experience in a sector they are passionate about – dairy farming.

18-year-old Matthew Fox, a 2024 graduate of Lincoln High School, was eager to find his next opportunity when he discovered the NextGen Dairy Farmers pilot programme, launched last year by Dairy Training, a subsidiary of DairyNZ.

“I wasn’t raised on a farm, but my grandparents do mixed farming with sheep and crops, and my aunt owns a dairy farm, so I’ve had some exposure,” Matthew explains. “This made me realise that I wanted a career outdoors, which is what attracted me to farming.”

Enthusiasm is the necessary precursor to experience.

Caption: NextGen Dairy Farmers student, Matthew Fox, on-farm with Host Farmers Becs and Josh Dondertman.

“I really enjoy seeing the animals happy, and knowing I’m part of New Zealand’s primary sector,” he says. “My host farmers are dedicated to teaching me, taking the time to explain things, and providing feedback when I need to improve. It’s a supportive learning environment.”

The NextGen programme is a NZQA-accredited initiative aimed at Year 12 and 13 school leavers, providing a solid foundation for a successful career in dairy farming. It is one of seven training courses offered by Dairy Training, the others focused on enhancing the skills of workers already in the sector.

The programme began at the end of 2024 and includes a three-week pre-employment training, followed by six months of on-farm employment with weekly training sessions and ongoing pastoral care and support.

It has proven valuable for Matthew. “The training days not only focus on farm skills but also teach us about financials, wellbeing, and how other farms operate – knowledge I can apply later in my own career.”

Host farmers Becs and Josh Dondertman employ Matthew at a Dairy Holdings farm near Dunsandel, Canterbury, where they milk 1,100 cows.

Becs has been influential in shaping the NextGen programme, working with other local farmers and Dairy Training to create an effective learning experience for new entrants into the dairy sector. Dairy Holdings also provide support, information and industry knowledge, which helps support programmes like this, and farmers new to the sector.

“Josh and I have always been keen to help people develop. People have helped us through our career, and we want to return this by supporting others in their careers too,” says Becs.

“The dairy sector is no different to many sectors that struggle to attract and retain young people. Part of our ethos is that we don’t believe you can be frustrated about something if you’re not willing to try being part of a solution. This programme is a trial, but it is a possible solution to a challenge dairy faces, and we don’t know how it will work if we don’t try.

“I’m really excited and hope more farmers put their hand up this year, to be a host farm and help provide more opportunities for students to join the programme.

“If we invest this money into the next generation of farmers like Matthew, and at the end of the 6 months they still enjoy farming and want to continue, then we have a fulltime employee, and that investment was worth it.”

Hamish Hodgson, Head of Dairy Training, emphasises that this programme was designed based on farmer feedback, with pre-employment training focused on what farmers believe new entrants to a dairy farming career should know.

“We set out to see how we can promote pathways into dairy from high school, and we formed this programme concept alongside farmers. It was important to ensure that students are set up for success, both on and off the farm,” says Hamish.

“Dairy Training Limited is focused on offering practical, easy-to-access training that is designed with dairy farmers, for dairy farmers, to support the long-term success of our sector. We have seen this approach to training go from strength to strength, with course enrolments having increased by 500% over the past 5 years.”

Applications for the next intake of the NextGen Dairy Farmers programme are now open, with applications closing on May 30. The programme is seeking Year 12 and 13 students interested in pursuing a career in dairy farming, as well as host farmers in Canterbury willing to support the development of future dairy farmers.

To learn more, visit dairytraining.co.nz/next-gen

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