“For our little town to grow and develop, we need our youth.”
Nutrien Harcourts Branch Manager Russell Mawson pulls no punches with what he sees as a solution to the oft-lamented exodus of school leavers from regional communities, such as Euroa.
“When I was a kid, I remember that I was one of about two of the whole class who said we wanted to stay and work in Euroa.
“It’s not that everyone else aspired to leave, it was just that the only jobs here were with the shire.”
Mr Mawson has the runs on the board to beat such a drum, having worked closely with Euroa Secondary College for a decade, securing work placements and traineeships for aspiring students transitioning out of school.
Latest Stories
He says that is not enough and is asking the Euroa business community to muck in and help with the lifting.
“We need experience and wisdom and knowledge to teach kids, and we like to retain some, not just continue to lose them to other places out of town,” he said.
The cost of investing in an apprentice or trainee is often what deters smaller businesses, but Mr Mawson said government subsidies were available to small businesses and that larger ones not eligible can share a trainee between them.
“We are big enough to not be able to get a subsidy, but we're not looking for any assistance, we're not.
“I have the other approach – I want to help the kids, and I have always wanted that.
“But other, smaller businesses can get the subsidies, and there's a lot of businesses in the street – there's a lot of businesses in the community.”
Mr Lawson’s recent colleague Lynne Ruscoe has spent time managing students and has watched most of them go on to good careers.
“Some students would stay with us for 12 months to do a Certificate II or Certificate III in different subjects,” Ms Ruscoe said.
“We've had ones who mainly want to do agricultural sort of stuff, so they might want to be an agronomist, or they might want to be a livestock agent.
“Not everybody goes on to do those, but it helps them decide whether they want to and it gives them experience too.”
She said for some students it can be an opportunity to simply learn how to be an employee.
“Learning how to turn up on time and being dressed appropriately and all that sort of thing – it can be a big learning experience for them.”
Staff at Nutrien Harcourts take the time to show students the vast range of vocations available in the sector, from merchandise and livestock agency to real estate and agronomy.
“We show them different parts of our business if they weren't sure what they wanted to do; they just sort of move around the business and see what we actually do, because nobody realises how varied the jobs here are.”
One of many success stories is that of Millie Delahey who has stayed on with the company, having completed her Certificate II and Certificate III while working there.
“Then we had to work very closely with the school and with the TAFE for her to do a Certificate 4 in Ag,” Ms Ruscoe said.
“She wants to be an agronomist.
“They said it's too much of a big workload and kids don't normally do it, they just don't succeed in getting it done.
“But Millie has, and she’s done exceedingly well.”
