Fieldays has partnered with the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) to launch the Opportunity Grows Here careers hub, which will showcase the depth and breadth of New Zealand’s thriving food and fibre sector.
Sitting under Fieldays’ strategic pillar of education, the hub is an engaging platform for attendees to learn about food and fibre career pathways and consider joining a thriving sector.
The interactive hub will be a hive of activity, with education providers and sector groups teaming up to showcase the industries that have led New Zealand’s recovery from the global pandemic.
MPI director-general Ray Smith said the primary industries have grown despite the covid-19 pandemic.
“New Zealand’s food and fibre sector is leading the nation’s recovery from covid-19 by keeping vital food and fibre flowing domestically and overseas. For the first time, annual export revenue reached more than $52.2 billion in the year to June 30.”
This growth highlights the urgent need for skilled and passionate food and fibre workers.
Opportunity Grows Here, a campaign managed by MPI, is addressing this need through connecting people with exciting careers in food and fibre, activity which will be further facilitated within the careers hub.
“With such a key sector contributing to the New Zealand economy and the wellbeing of our rural communities, it’s important we have the necessary workforce to meet the demand,” Smith said.
The hub will help sow the seed, helping people realise that opportunities within the sector reach beyond the farm gate.
Food and fibre careers range from work on-farm, in science, technology, business management, and logistics, to animal welfare, marketing, and research and development in locations across the motu (country).
NZ National Fieldays Society chief executive Peter Nation said the hub is an important part of its mission to advance agriculture.
“As the Southern Hemisphere’s largest agricultural event we have a duty to help futureproof the sector through educating people on where the opportunities lie in food and fibre.
“We are excited to partner with MPI to provide Fieldays attendees with an interactive showcase of New Zealand’s ideas, products, and services that are in such high demand across the globe.”
Smith said that those considering a career in food and fibre will be joining a sector they can be proud of, as New Zealand export products are highly sought after.
“New Zealand has a proud history of producing high quality, innovative, and world-class food and fibre products, with care for people and place remaining front-of-mind.
“We export most of what we produce, and our food is demanded and enjoyed in more than 130 countries around the world – for a small country at the bottom of the South Pacific, this is pretty impressive.”
Alonside the hub, a careers trail will allow visitors to follow around the Fieldays to showcase career options and vacancies.