EXPERIENCED sheep and beef farmer Penny Hooper will be named today as the inaugural winner of the $5000 Agri Development Scholarship jointly funded by Primary Employers Tasmania and the Tasmanian pork industry.
Scholarship winner Penny Hooper plans to use her win to encourage more young people to choose careers in primary industries.
Livestock manager at the Northern Midlands property Vaucluse, Ms Hooper, has 14 years’ experience working on sheep and beef farms, in a beef feedlot, in rural banking and agricultural consulting in Tasmania, Western Australia, Victoria and New Zealand.
She will attend the Australian Institute of Management’s Faculty of Leadership and Strategy course titled Manage People Effectively in Brisbane early next year.
The three-day, on-campus workshop focuses on how to manage people effectively utilising emotional intelligence skills, developing trust and confidence while managing, using communication with influence, and effectively managing a diverse workforce.
“This is a fantastic opportunity for me and my employer, the Vaucluse Agricultural Company, enabling me to mentor and support my team to achieve their goals and become valuable members of the agricultural industry,” Miss Hooper said from the Conara property in the northern midlands while calf marking.
“Vaucluse has 15 permanent employees with an average age of 39.”
“The average age of the livestock team is 23.”
“We focus on encouraging our employees to participate in training activities and enticing people with and without agricultural backgrounds to consider a career in the rural sector.”
“I am extremely thankful to Primary Employers Tasmania and the Tasmanian pork industry for offering such a generous scholarship and I am looking forward to sharing the course outcomes with my team and the wider Tasmanian agricultural industries.”
Primary Employers Tasmania President Ben Grubb congratulated Penny on an outstanding application, which focused on the challenge of recruiting and retaining people in primary industries.
“Penny concentrated on the fact that being able to employ and retain good people underpins the future of the industry,” Mr Grubb said.
“She also recognised that ‘good people’ doesn’t just mean those with relevant qualifications and experience, but those who are eager to learn and possess the right attitude and work ethic.”
Tasmanian pork industry spokesman Geoff Terry praised Penny on her determination to expand her knowledge and skill set.
“Primary Employers Tasmania and the Tasmanian pork industry decided to offer this scholarship to enhance personal development and promote best practice, and we are confident that Penny will use the $5000 to assist in her commitment to continuous learning and improvement.”
Submissions for the second $5000 Agri Development Scholarship are now open and will close on 31 March 2022.
Application forms can be downloaded from www. primaryemployers.com.au