Home PageScholarship kick starts young careers in dairy
2003-10-30
The prospect of a career in the dairy industry has come a step closer to reality for one young Australian with the launch of the 2004 Greenham Dairy Scholarship.
Announced today by HW Greenham and Sons Managing Director Peter Greenham, the annual $10,000 scholarship is awarded to someone between the ages of 17 and 25 years to undertake formal study relating to the dairy sector. It is open to the immediate family members of anyone who sells cattle to the company's Tongala-based meat processing plant during the current calendar year.
Mr Greenham said the continuation of the scholarship, now in its fourth year, underlined the company's commitment to the young people of the district and the future of the Australian dairy industry.
"Education is crucial to the future and development of the dairy industry, to keep families and their children on the land and continuing in business," Mr Greenham said.
"The scholarship is a way of encouraging young people to consider a future in the Australian dairy industry, especially at a time when farmers in most dairy regions are recovering from the effects of the recent devastating drought and financial resources may be scarce.
"It is also a way for us to give something back to the many farming families who have been loyal customers of the company," he said.
One of the success stories of the Greenham Dairy Scholarship is Leo Phelan, winner of the inaugural 2000 Greenham Dairy Scholarship.
From a farm in Numurkah, Leo won the scholarship when he was about to begin a two-and-a-half year Advanced Diploma in Agriculture (Dairy) at the University of Melbourne's McMillan Campus (Warragul) in Gippsland.
Leo had previously completed a Certificate II in Agriculture (Dairy) through the VET in schools program and had ambitions of a career in dairyfarm management.
"I was honoured and extremely pleased to receive the inaugural Greenham Dairy Scholarship," he said. "It has enabled me to successfully complete an advanced diploma at the McMillan Campus. The scholarship helped me to pay for expenses such as fees and accommodation on the campus."
Part of the criteria for awarding the scholarship is the course of education chosen by the applicant and the relevance it has to the future of the dairy industry. Leo chose the McMillan course because it was dairy specific and had a good balance of relevant theory and practical experience.
"The aim of the course was to provide education and training to meet the future needs of the Australian dairy industry," Leo said. "The curriculum offered opportunities to work with some of the most progressive farmers in a range of dairy enterprises including organic, feedlot and pasture-based systems.
"The course has given me the knowledge, experience and confidence to manage a dairy farm," he said.
"Since completing the course in July this year I have taken a management position on a dairy farm in Numurkah, the property of Dennis Garner, a Greenham supplier. I hope this will be the beginning of a successful and rewarding career in the dairy industry.
"The scholarship has provided a great opportunity for me. I would like to record my appreciation of the support offered by HW Greenham & Sons and would encourage any eligible person interested in a career in the dairy industry to apply."
Other Greenham Dairy Industry Scholarship winners are Matt McCready of Tatura and Lisa Thomson, now studying at Dookie.
The Greenham Scholarship is awarded on a range of criteria including:
- how the applicant will use the money for study to improve their skills and knowledge of the dairy industry;
- why the Scholarship is important to them realising their ambitions and the potential benefits to the industry or farm enterprise;
- previous academic and personal achievement;
- career ambitions; and
- written references.
The winner will be selected by an independent panel, comprising representatives from education, community and dairy research sectors.
Mr Greenham said it had been extremely encouraging to discover so many young people who had the talent, ambition and commitment to want to build a better future for the dairy industry and themselves.
"The next generation of farmers and dairy industry workers will need to be better educated and skilled to be able to compete and contribute not only to the industry but also to their own future.
"Personal development and education opportunities will help them become better farmers and more capable of successfully dealing with the challenges facing the entire industry," Mr Greenham said.