AUSTRALIAN dairyfarmers have demonstrated an extraordinary appetite for becoming better leaders with more than 30 of varying ages and genders, at different career stages and from all points of the national dairy compass, competing for 14 places in the Emerging Dairy Leaders Program.
The successful 2016 participants have commenced the 12-month program with a four-day residential block in Adelaide that included field trips to SA dairy regions and an overview of the local industry presented by Dairy SA.
The new sector-wide initiative to nurture leadership talent is sponsored jointly by Dairy Australia and Australian Dairy Farmers and is being run for the dairy industry by SA partner in the National Centre for Dairy Education, tafeSA.
Australian Dairy Farmers CEO Ben Stapley said new program would help emerging leaders develop their skills in preparation for further involvement with the industry and their community.
During the year-long course the group will visit three dairy regions – SA, Vic and Tas – and meet inspiring people who are helping to shape the development of the $13.5 billion Australian dairy industry.
They will also spend 10 days off-farm (plus travel time) in four residential blocks.
Participants in the program will earn a Diploma of Agribusiness Management from the NCDE using a variety of learning tools such as online self-paced study, webinars, peer discussion, workplace and mentor discussions.
“The program will help participants understand themselves and others better while improving their communication skills,” Dairy Australia’s Industry Education program manager Karen Conrad said.
“It’s a chance to develop teamwork and build a network of like-minded dairy people with a broad national focus.
“Further, the program helps them explore and reflect on their roles as emerging leaders of their community, industry and environment,” she added.
The EDLP participants represent all eight national dairy regions, including SA dairyfarmer Tim Wright, 29, who helps manage 350-450 cows at his family’s Meningie property.
EDLP began in Adelaide in April and will conclude there in April 2017.
EDLP is the industry’s new tier-one leadership program. The tier-two industry leadership program, Developing Dairy Leaders Program has been postponed and will not run this year.
