One of the challenges people entering the Food and Fibre sector can face is quickly acquiring enough knowledge and skills to approach and work with farmers collaboratively.
The Engage Programme was designed to address this knowledge gap. Developed and delivered by Rural Leaders in conjunction with Lincoln University (Dr. Victoria Westbrooke), and with funding from the Ministry for the Environment, Engage has been a quiet success.
The programme offers an inspiring and interactive three days, spread across workshops, field trips and discussions with industry leaders.
Facilitated by Dr. Scott Champion or Phil Morrison, Engage is positioned well for individuals with a wide range of exposure to the food and fibre sector. It is ideal for anyone connecting to the sector, and who might also be in farmer-focused roles such as policy, advisory, or regulatory. Although, it has been popular for those looking for a knowledge refresh too.
Tailoring Engage to ASB’s needs.
While Engage is about to head into its third pilot for the original programme, it is also set to run the sixth of seven bespoke programmes tailored for ASB Rural Managers.
ASB want their rural customers to feel supported on their journey toward more sustainable business practices; part of ASB’s purpose to accelerate progress for all New Zealanders.
The programme empowers frontline ASB Rural Managers to better understand and navigate the complexities of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) drivers within the context of New Zealand’s Food and Fibre sector.
“This programme will help our people help our customers – by having informed business conversations to better support them with their sustainability goals, how they may have an impact on farm profit, as well as identifying potential benefits and opportunities to create a more sustainable future in Aotearoa”, said Turi McFarlane, 2018 Nuffield Scholar, and Head of Rural Sustainability for Rural Banking at ASB.
Collaborating on programme design.
The programme’s design is the result of a tight collaboration between ASB and Rural Leaders. It provides participants with a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities in the sector and helps them learn how to navigate a complex environment with straightforward and relevant content.
“To date Engage has been made available to 90 of ASB’s rural bankers, and we look forward to getting even more of our people involved.
We’ve had great feedback on Engage, with our people saying it has been an eye-opening, educational and valuable experience. The diverse range of speakers gave plenty of food for thought and challenged thinking on how we approach the future of New Zealand’s Food and Fibre sector.
The programme provides us with an exciting platform to test and debate some of the core sustainability challenges and opportunities we see in the sector – building our capability as a team, it enables us to have informed business conversations with our customers”, added Turi McFarlane.
The final Engage Programme Pilot runs Wed. 30th October to Fri. 1st November (3 full days) and is based at Lincoln University. There are now only limited places available on the programme. For more information check out the One-Pager below.
To discuss designing a bespoke Engage Programme for your business, or to book a team member or group on the next Pilot in late October, contact Dr. Lyndsey Dance, Programmes Manager at Lyndseydance@ruralleaders.co.nz
