Telford: Agricultural training facility has welcome increase in students

School leavers are applying early to secure spots at agricultural training facility Telford, in South Otago. Southern Rural Life’s Shawn McAvinue talks to campus development manager Josh Borgia about restoring student numbers.

A rebuilding of the roll at agricultural training facility Telford in South Otago is going well, a campus manager says.

An open day was held on Friday on the more than 920ha campus about 7km south of Balclutha.

Campus development manager Josh Borgia said there was a capacity for more than 100 students to live on the campus run by the Southern Institute of Technology.

About 70 students were enrolled this year, an increase in numbers from last year.

Student numbers had been building since the campus was placed in liquidation in 2018, he said.

Then the campus was run by Taratahi, a private training establishment and agricultural education provider, which also had residential campuses in the Wairarapa and Reporoa in the North Island.

“We’ve been through some challenging times with the receivership of Taratahi – we are rebuilding and it’s going really well.”

About 20 people had applied for the course next year.

“To have so many enrolled so early is a good sign.”

Enrolments for next year were on track to be more than this year.

A challenge of increasing student numbers was high-school leavers being offered full-time work by farmers desperate for staff.

Many students were offered work during the year, but they were encouraged to finish studying so they had a qualification and essential skills behind them.

“Everyone leaves with work.”

More than half of the students enrolled this year were female.

Telford began in 1964 and the first woman enrolled in 1981.

About a third of the students were from urban areas and had no background in farming, while the rest had at least some connection to farming.

About a third of the students were from the North Island.

Students spent a third of their time studying in the classroom.

Another third of their time was spent in workshops, such as learning to shear, operate and maintain agricultural vehicles and machinery and “humanely slaughter a beast” in the on-farm abattoir.

The final third of their time was spent on-farm, including visiting farms off campus.

Students went on field trips, including recent visits to a piggery and French dairy giant Danone’s plant in South Otago.

Working dog pups were given to students and tuition was provided so pupils could graduate with a trained working dog.

The “signature” programme on campus is the Foundation Certificate in Agriculture.

The skills the students learn include pasture and crop production, animal health and production and soil productivity.

The campus also offers a certificate in Farming Systems and Equipment, which includes completing a special project.

When Southern Rural Life visited last week, student Zona Howell was building a double dog kennel and run, and student John MacKenzie was building a 3.6m by 2m flat deck trailer.

He and his father were sharing the cost of materials, to use the trailer on their family farm in Waipahi.

After training to be an armourer in the New Zealand Army, John decided to return to work on the family farm.

Rather than returning to work on the farm immediately, he was eager to study and fill any knowledge gaps.

“You don’t know what you don’t know.”

Telford student Steve Worthington, of Clyde, said he was raised in an urban area and wanted to attend Telford because his older brother had and had recommended the experience.

His brother now manages 55,000 sheep on a farm in Western Australia.

“He’s living the dream.”

Since starting at Telford, Steve had been offered “good money” to leave the course to go raking and baling for a contractor in Central Otago.

“I don’t think I will because I need the certificate.”

The 36-week course had “heaps packed in”.

His dream was to one day be running his own pack of dogs on a high country merino station in Central Otago or the Mackenzie Country.

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After graduating, he would search for work that would help him realise his dream.

“You’ve got to find the right boss in the right place that suits what you want.”

Telford student Brooke Clark, of Hyde, chose Telford after her grandparents recommended it.

“They’ve seen a lot of good students come out of here.”

Telford student Sage Mayo, of Whitianga in the Coromandel, said she chose Telford because there was nothing similar in the North Island.

After graduating, she hoped to get work shepherding in Gisborne because it offered high country farms and beaches.

“Although I do like Central Otago, I’m really into high country horse mustering.”

Telford student Connor Richardson, of North Shore, said he wanted to attend Telford because during school holidays he had enjoyed working on his uncle’s farm in Central Hawke’s Bay.

Another attraction of Telford was its location.

“I wanted to get away from Auckland.”

All of his mates were at university.

“If you go to university, you don’t get the practical side like you do here; that’s the reason I came here.”

A career in agriculture was never discussed at his high school.

Telford agricultural programme manager Debbie Rankin said it was frustrating when she heard of high school pupils being steered away from careers in farming to attend university.

Schools should be encouraging pupils into the agricultural industry because it required problem solvers with a good business mind, she said.

“You need to be smart.”