Levin growers back initiative to find work

LEVIN GROWERS BACK INITIATIVE

TO FIND WORK FOR LOCAL PEOPLE

Words by Hugh Chesterman

Jay Clarke in the chiller showing Year 10 students how vegetables get from paddock to supermarket shelf

Vegetable growers in the Levin area are right behind an initiative to ensure that everyone in Levin has the opportunity to work in the region.

The Horowhenua New Zealand Trust has been set up to improve the social and economic well-being of the community and ensure that the Horowhenua economy provides work opportunities for all local people,” says Sarah Ryan of the Trust. An important plank of the Trust’s effort has been the establishment of Get-Go.

“Get-Go has been created to connect people with the work they want, and employers with the people they need,” says Shane Gorinski of Get-Go.

“Get-Go is supported with government funding, managed by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment’s Kānoa – Regional Economic Development and Investment Unit. “We’re really fortunate that we’ve had great support from local growers. Woodhaven Gardens has come on board, and is providing high school students with the hands-on opportunity to see what commercial vegetable growing is like and what careers are available to them.” As part of the partnership with Get-Go, Woodhaven Gardens has set up a trial block for Horowhenua College horticulture students.

“We’ve given the class two acres to run as commercial vegetable growing,” says Woodhaven Gardens director, Jay Clarke. “The students have to choose what they want to put in the ground. To start, we’ve given them a soil sample. They have to decide how they want to test it, and then analyse the result and decide what to plant. “They’re not just learning how to grow a crop. They're also learning about the economics of growing. Once they’ve chosen their crop, they’ll do a budget and we’ll track against that budget. Hopefully they get a bit of life experience out of it and learn more about the industry that’s right on their doorstep.

They’re not just learning how to grow a crop. They're also learning about the economics of growing

“We need to be getting these kids to understand what’s involved in this industry. There's a lot of good jobs out there. For example, the industry can’t find agronomists, which is a six-figure job right there.” Principal of Horowhenua College, Grant Congdon, said that the support from Woodhaven Gardens has been phenomenal. “The partnership with Woodhaven came about because of Get-Go. It’s going to be an awesome opportunity for our students.”

Woodhaven is phenomenal. They genuinely want to engage and connect with students, as they realise that they are their potential workforce. “What our students don’t realise is the career options available to them right here on their doorstep. That’s what the events with Get-Go are helping to change.” As well as working with horticulture students, Get-Go ran its second annual Careers Futures Day in early May. Busloads of local Year 10 students spent the day at local businesses like Thermosash and Genoese, as well as Woodhaven Gardens.

“If some students get inspired to join the horticulture industry from the day, that's fantastic, but for us, it’s more about giving back to the community,” said Jay. “I think the most important thing for these kids to learn is where food comes from. The vast majority of them have no idea what’s involved in growing the produce that they see in the vegetable aisle every day.” Event organiser, Liam McLeavey, said that the feedback from students was highly positive, with many saying that it’s made a significant impact on their career aspirations. “We’ve seen that the programme has already made a difference to these students’ learning and outlook. The students now know about far more of the opportunities they have available in Levin. “By seeing how workplaces work, they can connect their learning to the real skills needed in the workplace. It makes their learning far more meaningful when they know that it is applicable outside of the classroom. “Our local employers are amazing. By participating in the initiative, they’re connecting to their future workforce. This is about connecting students, as soon as possible, to the world of work and showing them that in the future, they could have a career here in Levin. We have a range of students that are going into work as a result of the activities that we’re doing.”

For more information about Get-Go, visit Get-Go.nz

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