Privileged to get a look at sector

“That was the image projected by HorticultureNZ in 2015, and will be a defining factor in my career development,” says Keeys, a business management and science student at the University of Waikato who won a HortNZ national scholarship for 2014 and 2015.

Of four major opportunities he took from the conference, the first was gaining exposure to the individual sectors within the horticulture industry. 

“It was a privilege to see the complex web of inter-connected sectors and organisations individually, while also being able to understand the strong vertical integration maintained throughout the whole industry, all connected by the target of achieving a $10 billion export value by 2020,” he says.

The second was engaging with professionals from growers and grower support sectors, to packers and quality control, to distribution and marketing. He left the conference with numerous connections, valuable for career development and as a strong support network.

The third benefit was meeting nine like-minded tertiary students, all sharing the same “passion for innovation, sustainability and the success of NZ’s primary industries”. They had a variety of backgrounds and would all enter the workforce about the same time. 

“The fourth benefit is understanding the immense potential of the horticulture industry and its platform… for future success.”

He says he has no doubt “it will be a dominant industry in NZ in the future”.

Let me give you my card

Bachelor of Agriscience in Horticulture at Massey University, Yvette Jones, says attending the conference was a great opportunity in her last semester of study. 

While she learned at university a little about most aspects of horticulture, at the conference “you get bombarded with jobs, occupations and businesses that are so involved in the industry that you haven’t even heard of them,” Jones says.

“I was overwhelmed by the willingness of industry individuals who took the time to talk to me, give me advice about applying for jobs and took an interest in what I do as a student.

“I was humbled by the number of contacts and business cards I received that may make the job hunt a little easier at the end of the year. The HortNZ conference reiterated why I decided to study horticulture and had such an all-round positive outlook about where the industry is heading in the future, and how I could fit in as a graduate. I would highly recommend students to apply for the HortNZ scholarships.” 

Jones says the GlobalGAP day was her favourite as she is interested in food safety and quality. “I believe this is often an overlooked aspect of the industry so it was great to see a whole day focused on it.”

“I am extremely grateful to HorticultureNZ for the opportunity to attend the national conference and the immense support they have provided me with over the past two years which has been above and beyond any expectation. 

“Despite its smaller size, it is obvious the organisation is a nexus for the industry and demonstrates a strong ability for providing leadership and direction throughout horticulture.”