ELDERS was so impressed by Sadye Wines’ hard work and determination, that she was offered a full-time position four months before the end of her traineeship.
The 23 year-old has worked around the country, but has called Ballarat home for the last 14 months, as she works in her livestock sales support position.
Ms Wines said her work is not a job, but a lifestyle, which has contributed to her willingness to relocate many times.
After finishing high school, the Gippsland resident worked in the Northern Territory, and central Queensland, doing station work, before she came across the Elders traineeship.
While not unfamiliar with travel, the role entailed three-month stints at Horsham, and then Roma, QLD, before being relocated to Ballarat.
“I’ve had a lot of people ask me what the traineeship is like, and I’ve just told them to give it a go, and be prepared to move away from home, and put in some long hours, but it’s all worth it,” Ms Wines said.
“When I was 18 and finishing school, I never thought I’d leave my home town, but then I thought ‘why not?’, I can always go home if I want.”
Her current role involves running saleyard operations, including weighing and drafting lambs, and finding the best marketing option for clients.
She said she’s hoping to eventually build her own client-base.
“It’s just about getting yourself known around the saleyards, you’ve got to put yourself out there, you can’t be a shy person, you’ve got to be able to talk and relate to people,” she said.
“A challenge has been that I’m not from this area, so I don’t know a lot of people, so it’s all about building relationships.”
She said she’s been able to prove herself as a valued member of the agricultural community, despite it being a male-dominated industry.
“There’s a very small percentage of people who aren’t accepting of women in the industry, but the majority are understanding and welcoming,” she said.
She said Elders offers a strong support network, that has helped build her contact-base.
“We have such a great network here, by attending conferences and events interstate, everyone makes you feel really welcome,” she said.
“If I ever wanted to buy stock in New South Wales or South Australia, we all know each other from across the borders, it makes things a lot easier.”
She said she’s looking forward to being out on the field by herself one day, with her own clients.
“I’ve always loved the livestock industry, since I was a kid my hobby’s been campdrafting, chasing cattle around courses, and I do that on the weekends, so I’m pretty much immersed in the industry all week long,” she said.