| 55 Russell Fredric Outstanding outcomes for graduates Cadets leave with five to six dogs after completing their second year, valued at about $400 to $6000 each. The real-world experience provided by Otiwhiti School of Agriculture is a highly attractive advantage for both cadets and prospective employers. Reinforcing the strong practical element of the school’s NZQA accredited curriculum are five skills pillars which comprise learning to shear, fencing, breaking in and working a dog, riding a horse, and slaughtering and butchering a sheep. The school is located at Otiwhiti Station, an historic 470 hectare, sheep and cattle breeding property on hill country in the Hunterville district, Rangitikei, which carries about 2500 Romney sheep and 120 Angus cattle. Co-director Charlie Duncan says a ratio of one tutor to four students provides a good balance between training and maintaining productivity on the station. The success of the curriculum is easily reflected in the results produced, Charlies says. “One hundred percent of our students have been placed in employment or go on to higher education since the day we started.” The college’s hybrid training system enables cadets to earn while they learn. “It is a one year course, and then our cadets go out and they are employed in their second year, but they still come back to do their level four tuition in our classroom which runs on Friday’s.” A further advantage is that cadets leave with five to six dogs after completing their second year and, valued at about $400 to $6000 each, this represents a significant capital uplift as well as making them highly employable in a sheep and beef operation. “It’s a huge amount of difference between somebody who’s got five or six good working dogs. Somebody with that number of dogs has twice the working ability of somebody with three dogs. It’s another quite substantial difference of being at Otiwhiti.” During their work experience, Otiwhiti cadets face the sometimes harsh reality of farming among Otiwhiti’s partner farms, which have a total of 500,000 stock units, but with the wrap-around support of the school. “We work-ready them and challenge them in their first year so that they are getting prepared to get into the work force. We extend their hours during docking, they’re starting to have 6am to 6.30am starts and that will move earlier just to get a reality of what the real workforce does so they are RURAL SERVICES » Otiwhiti School of Agriculture not surprised when they get out there or are unable to cope with it.” Recognising the challenges and risks that cadets may encounter, Otiwhiti School of Agriculture ensures students are well-informed about issues such as sleep deprivation, substance use, nutrition, and the physical and mental demands of farm work, including the potential for isolation. The school also has a dedicated staff member who helps cadets develop practical strategies and resources to manage these challenges as they transition into employment. First year cadet Hunter Thurston (18), of Colyton, Manawatu, chose Otiwhiti to gain knowledge and experience across a variety of farms with the goal of being a shepherd on a hill country sheep and beef property and ultimately a stock agent, and has a Huntaway and a heading dog so far. “The lifestyle and being out on the hills, I love my dogs and I think it’s a cool way to live – just being part of New Zealand’s biggest industry that props up our whole country.” This year the school was fully subscribed with 18 cadets – 10 male and 8 female – and is already fully booked for next year. Proudly thanking our sponsors:
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