Monday, 09 January 2012 15:53

Westland offers study grants

Written by 

South Island independent milk processor Westland Milk is offering start-up scholarship for tertiary study.

The co-op will provide $100,000 to students over the next 10 years. Successful applicants will receive a one-off payment with the intention of removing barriers to students entering studies.

The Pike River and Canterbury Disaster Relief Fund, which funds the scholarship, was created this month to acknowledge the hardships faced by families of the Pike River Coal disaster and Canterbury earthquakes.

Westland Milk company secretary Mark Lockington says more than $10,000 a year over the next 10 years has been dedicated to the fund.

"This is an exciting opportunity for potential students to take up study plans they might not have previously considered," Lockington says.

"Being one of the West Coast's largest employers, we recognise the value of a skilled and well trained community and we urge anyone who might be thinking about tertiary training to apply."

Westland's current scholarship programme supports university-based tertiary learning, but the start-up scholarship will support all post-secondary school training including polytechnic studies and industry related programmes led by training organisations such as AgITO.

To be eligible, applicants must intend to enrol in a recognised tertiary learning programme and indicate which of the four categories they wish to apply for. The four categories are:

• Personal circumstances – e.g. financial, distance, hardship.

• Academic / vocational – special interest or ability

• Leadership / personal development – Individual abilities or skills

• Dairy industry related – on-farm training through AgITO, DairyNZ or another organisation.

Applicants must also demonstrate a link to Westland's milk supply regions of the West Coast and Canterbury's Selwyn District, which may include having lived in the specified areas.

Funds provided to successful applications will be determined on a case by case basis according to their study fee requirements.

Applications close on January 12.Visit www.westland.co.nz and follow the start-up link or call Nicky Cooper in Human Resources on 03 756 9861.

More like this

El Niño Summer: Terravest on Preparing Dairy Sheds Now

After a winter of frozen pipework and refrigeration call-outs, Terravest chief executive Kip Bodle and chief operating officer Luke Walker explain why this El Niño summer calls for a different kind of preparation, before the first heatwave finds the weak points for you.

Featured

Editorial: Drones Are Not Toys

OPINION: David Seymour and James Meager's plan to make it easier for farmers and orchardists to operate drones can best be described a 'courageous' move.

Opuha Dam Commissions New Valve in Major Flood Safety Upgrade

Opuha Dam's ability to protect South Canterbury communities from major flooding has taken a significant step forward, with Opuha Water Limited (OWL) successfully commissioning a new outlet valve capable of releasing record volumes of water from the dam ahead of a weather event.

National

Machinery & Products

» Latest Print Issues Online

Milking It

Domestic Focus

OPINION: After hogging the media limelight for telling a NZ Chinese MP to "go back home", Winston Peters has decided…

A No-Brainer

OPINION: With fuel prices soaring, one would have expected most farmers to be reclaiming excise duty on petrol.

» Connect with Dairy News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter