SPECIAL REPORT | APPRENTICESHIPS
Apprentice farmer, Floyd Fenn.
Making a name for himself Floyd Fenn has been learning from his employer Mike Williams, since he was a 12-year-old milking helper - five years on he is still learning - now as an NZ apprentice and soon to be supported by the government under the Apprentice Boost scheme. Jackie Harrigan met the life-long learner.
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ot many 17-yearolds have their own line of branded workwear - but Floyd Fenn of Floyd Fenn Farming thought, why not? “I just thought it would be fun and so I played around with a logo on my notepad and got them embroidered on to winter and summer beanies and caps, and also on my overalls and woollen jersey.” “Who doesn’t want their name on their beanie?” Floyd’s good name means a lot to him he’s the kind of chap who works hard and makes every day and every job his absolute best. “It’s my name on the cap, so I want people to think that I have a good work ethic.”
Floyd works as an ‘experienced farm assistant’ for Mike and Sharon Williams on their 165-hectare Shannon dairy farm, peak milking 400 Friesians and in the 2019/20 season producing 170,000kg milksolids (MS). Floyd has been working for the Williams full time since December 2019 - but he has been with them for a lot longer. Mike headhunted him when he was 12, offering him the chance to learn how to milk cows after school, when they chatted at the Shannon Rugby Club after prizegiving. “I have always been local, I used to bike around here after school, Mike gave me overalls and some gumboots and taught me how to cup cows - he paid me $5 for each milking and I seemed to have a knack for it.” Monday nights soon grew to Monday,
Dairy Exporter | www.nzfarmlife.co.nz | October 2020
Wednesday and Friday and then every weekend and school holidays until Floyd left school after achieving his NCEA Level One. “I didn’t mind school - I actually liked science and maths and I got the top mark in the Manawatu for Horticulture Level One but I don’t regret it - I missed my mates a bit to start off with.” But he is playing rugby with the Shannon B team (and won the best back of the year award) and keeps busy with work, hunting and speedway. As an NZ Apprentice training through Primary ITO, Floyd is continuing to learn, which he loves. “Mike and Sharon offered to support me through training so I enrolled in Primary ITO and started at Level 3 Milk Quality (which was 10 classes in Feilding), then I did Food Safety and Milk Quality, Dealing
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