Another successful career exploration day for local Nelson Tasman High Schools!
First stop was NMIT Richmond campus where students learnt about the different areas of horticulture, various study options and courses available. Technology is a big focus in this area and there are so many diverse pathways to go down for a satisfying and rewarding career. Had a great little tour around the nurseries and gardens and watched a demonstration on how to grow fruit and cuttings.
Next visit was Compass Fruit / Heartland where Operations Manager Daniel outlined the interesting production, cool store, and export side of horticulture. Students were able to experience a fascinating tour of the cool stores and bustling packhouse and got to sample the tasty apples! He talked about the opportunities in the business and encouraged students to try it for summer and see where it might lead.
Final stop was visited Waimea Nurseries. Students watched a great video and heard about the wide variety of interesting work that Waimea are involved in. Work opportunities were discussed including benefits like free breakfasts and transport. We saw some high tech. glasshouses and learned about grafting to grow trees.
It’s very clear that there are a wide range of roles up for grabs in this fascinating industry.