Home Page45 the new 25 for local dairy farmers: $10,000 Greenham Dairy Scholarship launched
2005-11-14
An exciting opportunity to undertake further education related to any sector of the dairy industry has been announced today for dairy farmers, sharefarmers and people employed on local dairy farms – and unlike most scholarships you don’t have to be coming out of secondary school to qualify.
The 2006 Greenham Dairy Scholarship is open to people between 17 and 45 years of age, providing an opportunity for would-be mature-aged students to apply for $10,000 to help them undertake formal study or a recognised training program of any kind.
Created and funded by HW Greenham and Sons, the scholarship is open to people who supply cattle to the company’s Tongala meat processing plant, their immediate family, sharefarmers and employees. When the scholarship first started five years ago, applicants also had to be under 25 years of age to qualify.
Making the announcement today, HW Greenham and Sons Livestock Manager Graeme Pretty said the company decided to expand the criteria after consultation with the dairy industry to meet an emerging need, particularly in northern Victoria and southern NSW.
"Many older farmers are keen to improve their skills and there are many people working on local farms who are also keen to study but often short of funds. While there are quite a few scholarship opportunities for secondary students keen to move on to university, there are far fewer options for the more mature among us,” Mr Pretty said.
He said the continuation of the scholarship underlined the company’s ongoing commitment to people of the district and the future of the Australian dairy industry.
"Ongoing training and education is crucial to the future sustainability and development of the dairy industry. The scholarship is a way of encouraging young people to consider a future in the Australian dairy industry and of helping established farmers stay on the land with new skills and the capacity to feel confident to compete in the industry and build a strong business for the family.
"It is also a way for us to give something back to the many farming families who have been loyal suppliers to the company," Mr Pretty said.
People can use the scholarship to undertake farming-related courses, or studies related to any other sector of industry that ultimately benefits dairying, such as dairy food technology or veterinarian science.
The Greenham Scholarship is awarded on a range of criteria including:
• how the applicant will use the money to improve their skills and knowledge;
• how important the scholarship is to them being able to realise their ambitions;
• potential benefits to the dairy industry or farm enterprise; and
• previous academic, industry and/or personal achievements.
The winner will be selected by an independent panel, which will comprise representatives from education, community and dairy research sectors.
Mr Pretty said he had greatly enjoyed seeing the progress made by previous winners, several of whom were already working in various sectors of the dairy industry, having gained considerably from their studies.
"We give the winners an opportunity to come together every year, and its very exciting to see their passion and enthusiasm for the industry; and their level of commitment. We are looking forward to giving another person the same opportunities in 2006,” he said.
Greenham Dairy Scholarship application forms and information sheets are available by phoning Porter Novelli on (08) 8272 8699, faxing a request to (08) 8272 8355 or e-mailing to adelaide@porternovellisa.com.au Applications close on January 31, 2006.