School principals and Ag-industry look to future

School principals and Ag-industry look to future

16 August 2007

A group of secondary school principals will meet with agricultural industry leaders and educators to learn more about industry opportunities on Thursday and Friday this week in Hamilton at the Ruakura Club.

The Coalition of 21st Century Schools is a voluntary group of principals that was established two years ago to help schools meet significant challenges as they seek to ensure all students are successful in their learning and equipped with the knowledge and skills for 21st Century life.

Participating organisations include AgResearch, Wintec, Waikato University, the Agriculture Industry Training Organisation, Innovation Waikato, Dexcel and representatives from several local secondary schools.

David Hood, conference organiser and former teacher, principal and Chief Executive of the New Zealand Qualifications Authority, says the aim of the conference is to establish a firm foundation for ongoing collaboration between the agriculture industry, tertiary education institutes and the Coalition.

“Schools face the same challenges in terms of providing learning opportunities that link to industry training and to higher education. It is critical that principals, as professional leaders and change managers in their schools meet with industry leaders and build strong working relationships,” he says.

Dr Andrew West says the current boom in dairy farming is evidence that what he calls the next golden age of agriculture is dawning.

“New Zealand’s agriculture industry is poised to take advantage of unprecedented global demand. As that demand for our primary products increases, it is important that we maintain and grow a highly-skilled labour force to realise the true potential of our agricultural industry.”

Sessions will include sector roundups, ideal future scenarios, identifying leadership and change management issues, identifying what is achievable in the first 12 months to two years, and agreeing on specific actions.

ENDS

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