Wednesday 7 September 2022

Fieldays is partnering with the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) to launch the Fieldays 
Opportunity Grows Here Careers Hub, which will showcase the depth and breadth of New Zealand’s thriving food and  fibre sector.

Sitting under Fieldays’ strategic pillar of education, the hub is an engaging platform for attendees to learn about food and fibre career pathways and consider joining a thriving sector.
The interactive hub will be a hive of activity, with education providers and sector groups teaming up to showcase the industries that have led New Zealand’s recovery from the global pandemic.

Ray Smith, Director-General of MPI, says the Primary Industries have grown despite the COVID-19 pandemic. 
“New Zealand’s food and fibre sector is leading the nation’s recovery from COVID-19 by keeping vital food and fibre flowing domestically and overseas.  For the first time, annual export revenue reached more than $52.2 billion in the year to 30 June 2022.”

This growth highlights the urgent need for skilled and passionate food and fibre workers.
Opportunity Grows Here, a campaign managed by MPI, is addressing this need through connecting people with exciting careers in food and fibre, activity which will be further facilitated within the Careers Hub.
“With such a key sector contributing to the New Zealand economy and the wellbeing of our rural communities, it’s important we have the necessary workforce to meet the demand,” says Ray Smith. 
“There are rewarding, life-long careers available in food and fibre right across the supply chain, and we’re excited to showcase these within the Fieldays Opportunity Grows Here Careers Hub.”
The Fieldays Opportunity Grows Here Careers Hub will help sow the seed, helping people realise that opportunities within the sector reach beyond the farm gate. Food and fibre careers range from work on-farm, in science, technology, business management, and logistics, to animal welfare, marketing, and research and development in locations across the motu. NZ National Fieldays Society Chief Executive Peter Nation says that the Careers Hub is an important part of its mission to advance agriculture.

“As the Southern Hemisphere’s largest agricultural event we have a duty to help futureproof the sector through educating people on where the opportunities lie in food and fibre.
“We are excited to partner with MPI to provide Fieldays attendees with an interactive showcase of New Zealand’s ideas, products, and services that are in such high demand across the globe.”
Ray Smith says that those considering a career in food and fibre will be joining a sector they can be proud of, as New Zealand export products are highly sought after. 
“New Zealand has a proud history of producing high quality, innovative, and world-class food and fibre products, with care for people and place remaining front-of-mind.

“We export most of what we produce, and our food is demanded and enjoyed in more than 130 countries around the world – for a small country at the bottom of the South Pacific, this is pretty impressive.” There will be a number of activations and experiences run alongside the Fieldays Opportunity Grows Here Careers Hub during Fieldays. This includes a Fieldays Opportunity Grows Here Careers Trail for visitors to follow around the Fieldays event to showcase career options and vacancies, a speaker and engagement series and a jobs board where visitors can see available food and fibre roles.

School groups who are interested in visiting Fieldays can receive the discounted entry price of $10 per student (Ts and Cs apply). Please fill out the registration form here: https://forms.office.com/r/D3CiRNT02r
Scope out the wide range of exciting career options at www.opportunitygrowshere.nz/ and visit the Fieldays Opportunity Grows Here Careers Hub this summer, from 30 November to 3 December.