Trades Academy placement putting Gisborne teen on path to farm work

Seventeen-year-old Harley Teepa is studying at EIT|Te Pūkenga Tairāwhiti so that he can follow his passion of working on a farm. Picture supplied

Watching farmers and dogs at work was the inspiration for Gisborne teenager Harley Teepa (Te Aitanga a Māhaki) to enrol in agriculture at EIT|Te Pūkenga.

The 17-year-old loves the outdoors and watching farmers and their dogs moving sheep spurred him on to learn farm skills.

While at Gisborne Boys’ High School, Harley enrolled in the Level 2 Agriculture Trades Academy programme at the Tairāwhiti Campus of EIT|Te Pūkenga.

The Trades Academy, at the Tairāwhiti and Hawke’s Bay campuses, works with secondary schools to provide year-long trades programmes to help students achieve NCEA Level 2 and prepare for higher-level study.

In Tairāwhiti students attend Trades Academy each Friday, gaining  vocational skills and getting hands on experience.

The Trades Academy at the Tairāwhiti Campus offers programmes that include automotive, trade skills, hair and beauty, hospitality, agriculture, and health and fitness.

Harley has left school but continues with a full-time Level 3 Agriculture programme with EIT|Te Pūkenga, and he said he was loving the programme.

“We learn how to fence, how to use a chainsaw, and crutching and some other farming stuff too.

“It is good to have the skills and also the qualifications that go with them,” he said.

Harley aims to gain the qualifications required to propel him into a job on a farm.

While he does not have a farming background, his particular interest has been working with dogs and moving sheep.

“I like the hands-on stuff and it is all about being consistent and practising over time.”

He said having a good cohort of fellow students helps.

“Everyone gets along. All of us work as a team, and when another student needs help or that, we help them out.”

Harley said his aim was to continue on to the Level 4 programme, which requires him to have a full-time job on a farm.

His dream job is to be a shepherd.

“Sheep are pretty cool to work with, along with cattle.”

“You just have to get that first sheep, and then the rest will follow them.”

Sam Sidney, EIT|Te Pūkenga Tairāwhiti agriculture tutor said, “This is my second year with Harley after having him with us last year in EIT Trades Academy for Agriculture. He has excelled and matured as a person since I have met him.”

“If I need something completed, I can trust Harley to get it done safely and efficiently as he stands out within the team.

“He is following his passion of being employed in agriculture,” Mr Sidney said.

“The big thing is he is keen to learn and is not afraid of hard work.

“EIT Agriculture offers its students the ability to learn real life on-farm skills with an intention of having them work- ready at course completion.

“It is our intention to provide Harley and his fellow students the environment for constructive safe learning so that when they leave us they have the skills to go directly into employment in agriculture.”