Young residents from the south-west are invited to participate in an innovative program aimed at retaining young people on farms and in agribusiness in western Victoria.
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Defying the Drift is a unique program developed by Marcus Oldham College and Rotary District 9780 that includes about 60 Rotary Clubs in western Victoria.
The program is available to year 10 and 11 secondary students in western Victoria who are considering a career in agriculture and related industries.
The program is centred around a three day residential course at Marcus Oldham College in Geelong from Monday, September 28 to Wednesday, September 30, this year.
Rotary District 9780 Rural Support Committee chairman Rob Pelletier said Defying the Drift helped participants develop leadership skills and exposed them to a cross section of agricultural enterprises.
He said participants visited businesses that operated at different stages in the production chain from “paddock to plate.” The range of businesses visited also reflected the variety of business sizes and approaches in modern day agriculture.
Defying the Drift program was an ideal way for young men and women in the south-west to gain wider exposure to different facets of Victoria’s agriculture industry, Mr Pelletier said.
“It is heartening to note that Defying the Drift appeals equally to girls and boys, belying the traditional image of agriculture as a male dominated industry,” he said.
“The 2014 program included slightly more boys than girls, but overall the program attracts approximately equal numbers.
The more or less equal gender involvement reflects the composition of the post-secondary programs offered at Marcus Oldham College and other tertiary agriculture programs,” Mr Pelletier said.
Participants in the 2014 Defying the Drift program came from towns across western Victoria including Portland, Beaufort, Maryborough, Daylesford, Geelong East, Charlton, Bacchus Marsh, Terang and Wendouree.
The drift to urban areas is taking many people away from smaller south-west towns to Warrnambool.
Warrnambool added 250 people between 2013 and last year but Hamilton and Portland lost significant numbers. Melbourne will not surprisingly receive the bulk of those shifting with its population expected to swell by 1.8 million to six million people by 2031.
More information about Defying the Drift, including a downloadable application form and online enquiry form, can be found at www.ruralsupport.org or by ringing George Kirsanovs on 53492550 or 0458-492-555.