05 Aug 2019
Excited secondary students across the South Coast NSW region are preparing to welcome some special visitors to their school.
Through Dairy Australia’s Cows Create Careers – Farm Module project, the students will learn about dairy industry careers in a very hands-on way: over three-weeks they will rear and care for two three-week-old calves.
In 2019 twenty-one schools in the South Coast NSW region will participate in the project including Corrimal High School. A local dairy farmer will teach the students how to care for the calves, and demonstrate skills such as animal husbandry, feeding and weighing. An Industry Advocate will also visit the students to speak about their career in the dairy industry.
Cows Create Careers allows students to learn about the different skills required for a career in the dairy industry in a fun and hands-on way. Over the three-weeks, students are required to form teams to complete industry-based assessments.The project increases awareness of the dairy industry and builds strong connections with the local community – all while showcasing the wide-range of university, vocational and professional pathways within the industry.
Cows Create Careers was originally established in 2004 with dairy farmers in the Strzelecki Lions Club in Victoria and nine Gippsland schools. Since 2006 the project has been supported by Dairy Australia, Regional Development Programs, dairy farmers and sponsors. It has now grown to over 244 schools across Australia with 13,163 students completing the project in 2017. The project’s passionate volunteers are vital to the ongoing success of Cows Create Careers. Last year alone 466 volunteers gave 2,330 hours of their time across 23 Australian dairying regions. Volunteers represent a wide-range of professional dairy careers. They speak to the students about their experiences in the industry, they support students in career decision making, and they have important links to education and employment sectors.
Locally, the project is funded by DairyNSW and receives additional support across the state from local companies MaxCare Animal Nutrition, IMB Community Foundation, Vella Stockfeeds, Daviesway, Dasco, Skellerup and Peach Teats who have continued to support the project in the South Coast NSW region.
Upon completion of the project, students and teachers will be recognised at an interactive Presentation Day, where there will be industry-based games and prizes awarded to the winning teams and schools.
For more information visit http://www.dairyaustralia.com.au/People-and-skills/Education-and-careers/Secondary-School-Resources/Cows-Create-Careers/Farm-Module.aspx
Dairy Australia is the national services body for the Australian dairy industry. The company acts as the collective investment arm of the industry, investing in essential research, development, extension and industry services. For more information on Dairy Australia and dairy service levy investments visit www.dairyaustralia.com.au