Taratahi has changed its curriculum to include more personal development and is working closely with schools while Primary ITO has launched dairy, horticulture and meat processing apprenticeships.
Graves said employers needed to think and treat staff as an investment not a cost, recognising younger generations have a different view of the world and were raised differently to them.
“Employers need to recognise they have an investment in this person that is not just dollars.
“It is a simple thing like ensuring they can build a lifestyle, make them feel connected and that their future is part of your business.”
A low birth rate around 2000 created a shortage of school leavers who are being courted by other employee-hungry sectors, especially construction.
Many young people are now going directly into work rather than training.
Primary ITO chief executive Linda Sissons said just 4% of NZ students go into apprenticeships compared to 50% in Germany and 70% in Switzerland.
“Our settings are wrong.
“We send the wrong signals to kids and without knowing it devalue vocational training.”
Schools tend to prepare students for universities and polytechnics rather than vocational careers.
“We need to get signals to young people and their families that going into a vocational area provides a job, learning on the job and is not a sign of failure.”
Primary ITO has 7700 dairy trainees, 6185 in horticulture, 5800 in meat processing and 1100 in sheep and beef.
About 100 are in the newly launched dairy apprenticeship run with Federated Farmers while nine horticulture sectors have endorsed introducing apprenticeships.
Sissons said she wants the sheep and beef sector to adopt an apprenticeship scheme too.
Graves said Taratahi traditionally relied on a supply of young people who chose to leave school before year 13 and were eager to start work.
In the last few years schools have successfully kept many of those students through to the final year of education.
Those who still leave school early do so for other reasons, generally need support and don’t pursue an agricultural career.
The demographics of students studying at Taratahi differs greatly from a generation ago when it was dominated by males with a rural upbringing.
Now 42% are Maori, 40% have an urban upbringing and close to 40% are female.
“You have got to think about them, that you can’t drop them like a stone in a pond and hope osmosis will kick in and everyone will live happily ever after.”
Taratahi has maintained its roll for the last few years at about 1500 effective full-time students but it has been a challenge.
It is now working with about 500 secondary school pupils to increase interest in pre-employment training.
A year ago Taratahi joined groups such as Young Farmers to work with 150 schools and introduced a programme called Grow, Feed, Protect.
It involves providing 60 schools with material for their year 13 agricultural curriculum and providing working farms for vocational education.
The idea is to introduce students to the industry in the hope that interest leads to further education and a career in the sector.
“It’s a destination story and a lifestyle story we’re talking about.”
Results will take some time with the first students expected next year but more significant gains expected from 2020.
Graves said it appears farm staff are staying in the industry for only two to three years, indicating effort, such as further training, is needed to encourage people to stay.
Sissons said a Government review of vocational training and education could lead to greater interest.
Education Minister Chris Hipkins has endorsed the importance of vocational training, which Sissons said sent a message about the Government’s expectations.
“If he says that to enough school principals then we’ve got it made.”
With farm careers attracting large numbers from urban areas, other employees and the wider community have to make them feel welcome.
Primary industries need to sell the variety of careers possible and the constant flow of new technology and the interest and variety they provide.
