Two young farmers from Western Victoria have received scholarships of up to $10,000 thanks to funding from the Victorian Government as part of the $125,000 Upskill and Invest Young Farmers Scholarships program.
Member for Western Victoria, Gayle Tierney congratulates the local winners of the fifth round of scholarships who were announced at an awards ceremony held at Parliament House yesterday evening.
Upskill and Invest Young Farmer Scholarships are worth up to $10,000 per farmer – with $5000 to upskill through training and study in areas like farm management, financial literacy, product development or innovative farming techniques, making sure the next generation of farming leaders are developing world-class skills.
Once they complete their studies, recipients are eligible for an additional funding boost of up to $5,000 to invest on-farm or in professional development – putting their new skills into practice and boosting their businesses.
Rebekah Winter, a dairy farmer from Pomborneit, is looking forward to completing several short courses to expand her knowledge and skills including a ‘Certificate in Agronomy’. She will also invest in further training in artificial insemination and pregnancy diagnosis to boost her knowledge and on-farm techniques.
Edward Guthridge, a dairy share farmer from South Purrumbete, will complete a short course in ‘Advanced Nutrition in Action’ which focuses on optimising herd productivity and animal health and welfare. He will also invest in a cattle weighing and monitoring system to better manage animal nutrition.
To date, the scholarship program has seen 63 young recipients move from strength to strength in their careers – and is an important part of the Labor Government’s commitment to grow the state’s agriculture sector to $20 billion by 2030.
Applications for the 2020 Young Farmers Scholarships will open in mid-2020, with farmers aged 35 or under encouraged to apply. To find out more about the scholarships program, visit agriculture.vic.gov.au/youngfarmers.
Quotes attributable to Member for Western Victoria, Gayle Tierney
“Our west Victorian young farmers are dynamic and resilient. The future success and growth of Victoria’s thriving agriculture industry is in great hands.”
“The Upskill and Invest Young Farmers Scholarship program is attracting and supporting the next generation of western Victorian farmers by making sure they’re supported to keep learning and growing.”
The successful recipients for 2019 are:
Edward Guthridge, Corangamite Shire
Rebekah Winter, Colac-Otway Shire
Sophia Christoe, Mount Alexander Shire
Andrew Murphy, Campaspe Shire
Hannah Dowsett, Wellington Shire
Joseph Watts, Buloke Shire
Bridget Doyle, Benalla Rural Shire
Joseph Sutherland, Southern Grampians Shire
Clay Gowers, Mildura Rural Shire
Dallas Willersdorf, Mildura Rural Shire
Jackson Keane, Macedon Ranges Shire
Nicola Letts, Alpine Shire
Jessica Knight, Wellington Shire