Taratahi/Western Institute of Technology launch
Good morning everyone.
Thank you to members of the Western Institute of Technology council, and the Taratahi board for inviting me to be here in Taranaki with you today.
Both the Minister of Tertiary Education, Steven Joyce, and the Minister of Education, Anne Tolley send their best wishes.
As Minister of Agriculture it is a great pleasure to be part of the launch of this exciting joint venture.
You have developed a real opportunity for students here in the Taranaki region keen to embark on a career in agriculture.
The opportunities for school leavers in the agricultural industry have never been greater.
The primary sector is the very foundation of our economy. This makes it all the more important that we have an innovative approach to getting people involved in agricultural courses right through the education system.
It’s widely accepted that if we want the most from our primary industries, we must attract and retain suitably trained young New Zealanders on this career path.
It is critical we establish suitable agricultural training systems for students, not only here in Taranaki, but right across New Zealand.
The Government is keen to see initiatives like this that aim to build capacity and capability in our agricultural sector.
That’s why this month we announced nine Trades Academies are to open next year. These will provide trades and technology programmes for over 800 secondary school students.
Two of these are primary sector-focused and I congratulate Taratahi on its successful bid to deliver the Primary Industries Trades Academy.
I am also encouraged by Taratahi’s commitment to education as evidenced by other areas of training it has undertaken. These include the ‘Ag in Schools’ and rural leadership programmes, as well as the partnership with Lincoln University which enables you to offer the Lincoln Diploma in Agriculture.
I know your courses also put students on a path of agricultural training with many students continuing their studies through AgITO and Massey or Lincoln Universities.
The Taratahi Stratford campus was established six years ago with the intention of providing full time access to a wide range of agricultural training in Taranaki.
This is very appropriate as the ‘Naki’ is a renowned contributor to the primary sector of New Zealand.
It has a rich history of dairy farming and currently around 1900 Taranaki dairy farms produce 14 percent of New Zealand's total milk solids.
In addition to your agricultural base, Taranaki has oil and gas reserves, and the associated processing, distribution, and exporting also contribute greatly to your regional economy.
This new partnership between Taratahi and WITT will ensure graduates really contribute to the region’s continued economic growth.
The outlook for New Zealand is great because our strength is food production.
Over the next 40 years the world’s population is expected to increase from six billion to nine billion.
As a producer of premium products our target will be the upper and middle classes – the 50 million people in the future that can afford, and are prepared to pay more, for high quality food and beverage that is backed by integrity and reputation.
It is crucial we develop young people with the right skills, the right experience, and most importantly the right attitude to make the most of this fantastic opportunity.
So the future is your opportunity. Grab hold of it.
Thank you.
Good morning everyone. Thank you to members of the Western Institute of Technology council, and the Taratahi board for inviting me to be here in Taranaki with you today. Both the Minister of Tertiary Education, Steven Joyce, and the Minister of Education, Anne Tolley send their best wishes. As Minister of Agriculture it is a great pleasure to be part of the launch of this exciting joint venture. You have developed a real opportunity for students here in the Taranaki region keen to embark on a career in agriculture. The opportunities for school leavers in the agricultural industry have never been greater. The primary sector is the very foundation of our economy. This makes it all the more important that we have an innovative approach to getting people involved in agricultural courses right through the education system. It’s widely accepted that if we want the most from our primary industries, we must attract and retain suitably trained young New Zealanders on this career path. It is critical we establish suitable agricultural training systems for students, not only here in Taranaki, but right across New Zealand. The Government is keen to see initiatives like this that aim to build capacity and capability in our agricultural sector. That’s why this month we announced nine Trades Academies are to open next year. These will provide trades and technology programmes for over 800 secondary school students. Two of these are primary sector-focused and I congratulate Taratahi on its successful bid to deliver the Primary Industries Trades Academy. I am also encouraged by Taratahi’s commitment to education as evidenced by other areas of training it has undertaken. These include the ‘Ag in Schools’ and rural leadership programmes, as well as the partnership with Lincoln University which enables you to offer the Lincoln Diploma in Agriculture. I know your courses also put students on a path of agricultural training with many students continuing their studies through AgITO and Massey or Lincoln Universities. The Taratahi Stratford campus was established six years ago with the intention of providing full time access to a wide range of agricultural training in Taranaki. This is very appropriate as the ‘Naki’ is a renowned contributor to the primary sector of New Zealand. It has a rich history of dairy farming and currently around 1900 Taranaki dairy farms produce 14 percent of New Zealand's total milk solids. In addition to your agricultural base, Taranaki has oil and gas reserves, and the associated processing, distribution, and exporting also contribute greatly to your regional economy. This new partnership between Taratahi and WITT will ensure graduates really contribute to the region’s continued economic growth. The outlook for New Zealand is great because our strength is food production. Over the next 40 years the world’s population is expected to increase from six billion to nine billion. As a producer of premium products our target will be the upper and middle classes – the 50 million people in the future that can afford, and are prepared to pay more, for high quality food and beverage that is backed by integrity and reputation. It is crucial we develop young people with the right skills, the right experience, and most importantly the right attitude to make the most of this fantastic opportunity. So the future is your opportunity. Grab hold of it. Thank you.
