The careers hub will showcase job and education opportunities in the primary industries. Photo / Stephen Barker, Barker Photography
The careers hub will showcase job and education opportunities in the primary industries. Photo / Stephen Barker, Barker Photography
June is just around the corner, and with it the annual Fieldays, which not only returns to its regular winter date but also celebrates its 55th anniversary.
The organisers, the New Zealand National Fieldays Society, say visitors can expect over 1000 exhibitors, much-loved programme staples like the tractor pull and fencing competitions and must-see Fieldays hubs.
One of the hubs is the Opportunity Grows Here Careers Hub, where Fieldays and the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) showcase career pathways in the food and fibre sector.
New Zealand National Fieldays Society chief executive Peter Nation says the event has a focus on building awareness of education and job opportunities in the primary industries.
“Education is one of Fieldays’ strategic pillars, and this hub provides an excellent platform for learning from and connecting with those who work in the sector,” Nation says.
MPI director-general Ray Smith says the hub, now running for a second year, will feature 11 organisations.
“Food and fibre sector careers range from work on-farm, in science, technology, business management and logistics to animal welfare, marketing and research and development across the country,” Smith says.
As a new feature in the careers hub, a series of speakers will take part in panel discussions and Ted-talk-type presentations this year. Like last year, there will also be an Opportunity Grows Here Careers Trail that will provide visitors with an interactive experience.
There will be Fieldays panel talks about career opportunities in the food and fibre sector. Photo / Stephen Barker, Barker Photography
A new addition will be the Fieldays Sustainability Hub, which is set to feature a number of sustainability-focused organisations in the primary industries.
The Hauora Taiwhenua Health & Wellbeing Hub will again be the one-stop shop for health check-ups and medical advice, and last year’s new hub on the block, the Forestry Hub, will also return this year, showcasing the many facets of the industry and how the sector has a vital role in mitigating climate change.
About the 55-year anniversary of Fieldays, Nation says: “It’s a pretty amazing milestone and one that we don’t take for granted.”
The first Fieldays was in 1968, held at Te Rapa Racecourse in Hamilton after Waikato farmer John Kneebone suggested an annual outing for farmers, and it has since turned into a festival that has brought town and country together.
The inaugural event attracted 15,000 people, which has grown to a record crowd of 133,588 in 2017.
Fieldays sponsor Case IH has given the Fieldays society machinery to mark Case IH's 100th anniversary. Photo / Fieldays
Fieldays’ premier sponsor, American agricultural machinery manufacturer Farmall Case IH, is also celebrating a milestone as 2023 marks its 100th year in the New Zealand agricultural landscape.
For this occasion, Case IH has given the Fieldays Society several pieces of machinery, including the Farmall 50B, to support Fieldays’ day-to-day operations at Mystery Creek Event Centre.
“This state-of-the-art equipment will be of great assistance to us as we get the site ready for exhibitors,” Nation says.
Fieldays 2023 will take place from June 14 to 17 at Mystery Creek. Tickets are now on sale and can be purchased online via the Fieldays website, or at the gate during the event. For more information on the careers hub and panel discussions, head to www.fieldays.co.nz.
To access the Fieldays Opportunity Grows Here Careers Trail, you can download the Fieldays app.
