Teens experience dairy

KORUMBURRA Secondary College VCAL students are learning about the dairy industry with the help of two jersey calves.
As part of the Cows Create Careers – farm module, the calves are helping to increase awareness of dairy industry careers in a hands on way.
The Year 10 VCAL students will rear the calves dubbed Sharon and Brian, provided by Leongatha South dairy farmer Gordon Vagg, for two weeks.
This year, 18 schools in the Gippsland region will participate in the program.
The program was started in 2004 by dairy farmers in the Strzelecki Lions Club and since 2006 has been supported by Dairy Australia.
Cows Create Careers national coordinator John Hutchison said the program started in nine Gippsland schools and now runs in 209 schools across Australia.
“The program is designed to create awareness among secondary school students of the different opportunities available in the dairy industry,” he said.
“It teaches students about educational and vocational pathways within industry.”
Mr Hutchison said a local farmer is asked to lend two calves to the school.
“The students look after the calves for two weeks. They learn about animal husbandry and looking after animals,” he said.
“At the same time they are required to complete enquiry based projects on the dairy industry, such as a mootube movies or a 3D model.
“Through creating, the students are able to discover something new about the dairy industry.”
Mr Hutchison said the program is hands on and allows the students to enjoy what they are learning about.
“It is amazing what they pick up about the industry on the way,” he said.
At the end of the six week program, students and teachers will be recognised at a presentation finale where prizes will be awarded to winning schools and students.

Jersey sure: from left, Korumburra Secondary College students Tash Lacy, Jordan Bell, Spencer Foster and Justin Stewart give calves Sharon and Brian their afternoon feed. The calves are at the school as part of the Cows Create Careers program.

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Posted by Sarah Vella on Aug 26 2014. Filed under Rural News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry