Perceptions of a career in the dairy industry

Survey of Taranaki secondary school students

Barbara Kuriger

Executive Summary

A prediction has been made that by the year 2005, we are going to need another 5000 people in the dairy industry. We are currently struggling to attract enough of the right people. I am concerned about where these people are going to come from and how we are going to attract them. I believe that school age is the right place to begin the promotion.

Schoolleavers will not be the only available staff market but I had to start somewhere and limited my survey to that group. With high unemployment figures, we must be able to find some common ground to have a full quota of staff available to the industry in the future.

Barbara Kuriger

Download and read the full report here:

Grow. Advance. Lead.

Do the Kellogg Rural Leadership Programme.

More Kellogg reports:

2025

Dairy Farmer-Female Veterinary Adviser Relationships in New Zealand

This report by Katrina Roberts highlights that strong farmer-female veterinarian relationships improve advice uptake and farm outcomes. Findings emphasise personal connection, trust, communication, and shared ...
Read More →
2024

Foraging New Horizons: Levers of Sustainable Innovation in the NZ Food and Fibre Sector

This report aims to identify key inflexion points for New Zealand agriculture to adopt sustainable practices, enhance market opportunities, and drive systemic transformation through collaborative ...
Read More →
2025

Overcoming Barriers to Data Interoperability Within New Zealand’s Wine Industry

NZ wine confronts rising costs and unpredictable markets. This report by Zac Howell reveals how smarter data use, strong governance, and industry trust can unlock ...
Read More →