‍

‍

June 2026

‍

Six Ngāti Porou rangatahi recently travelled to Hamilton to attend the New Zealand National Agricultural Fieldays at Mystery Creek, gaining first-hand exposure to the opportunities, innovation, and career pathways available across New Zealand's primary industries.

Supported by Ngāti Porou Youth Services kaimahi Jury Harrison and Bubs Apelu, the trip brought together NEET participants and EIT students for a unique learning experience designed to inspire future aspirations and broaden horizons.

‍

Fieldays is New Zealand's largest agricultural event, attracting more than 130,000 visitors and featuringover 1,172 exhibitors from across the agricultural, horticultural, forestry, education, technology, food production, health, and rural services sectors.

The purpose of the trip was to showcase the diversity of New Zealand's primary industries and encourage rangatahi to consider the many education, training, and employment pathways available within these sectors.

‍

Throughout the event, rangatahi explored a wide range of exhibits, including sheep and beef farming, horticulture, honey production, agricultural machinery, forestry, rural innovation, and emerging technologies. A highlight for many was the innovation hub, where they discovered new products and ideas shaping the future of the industry. One standout example was Materially Kiwi, a business creating leather products from kiwifruit waste, demonstrating how innovation and sustainability can work together.

‍

The group also spent time in the employment and education pathways area, learning about programmes such asGrowing Future Farmers, a two-year cadetship connecting young people with careers in sheep, beef, and dairy farming.

‍

According to Youth Services kaimahi Bubs Apelu, the experience provided far more than just exposure to career opportunities.

"Fieldays provided valuable opportunity for rangatahi to explore primary industries, connect with sector knowledge, and consider future pathways that support the sustainability and potential of Ngāti Porou whānau and whānui."

‍

Ngāti Porou Farms, managed by Nāti Growth, along with other farming operations across the Coast, could potentially register with the programme to help create practical training and employment pathways for Ngāti Porou rangatahi. Initiatives such as these would provide local opportunities for young people to gain industry experience while contributing to the future workforce needs of the region.

‍

Beyond the educational benefits, the trip also allowed rangatahi to spend time together outside of the rohe, build confidence, strengthen relationships, and experience new environments.After busy days exploring the event, the group stayed in Cambridge, taking time to reflect on what they had learned and enjoyed throughout the journey.

‍

For many of the rangatahi, one of the biggest highlights was simply experiencing something new and seeing the scale of opportunities available beyond their local communities.

‍

Ngāti Porou Youth Services remains committed to creating meaningful opportunities that inspire rangatahi, strengthen aspirations, and support pathways into education, training, and sustainable employment for the benefit of future generations.

‍