Each week 48 young men (11 Year 11 students, 30 Year 12 students and seven Year 13 students) spend time completing practical farming work under the guidance of tutors from PITO, the Primary Industries Training Organisation. Earlier this term these young men attended a presentation with Mr Dan Gardner, Key Account Manager for Boehringer Ingelheim, who provides animal healthcare products for the New Zealand agriculture sector. Mr Gardner emphasised the very wide range of opportunities available in agriculture and encouraged the young men to consider their future pathways with their eyes open to all of the possibilities.

Another key theme of Mr Gardner's presentation was the importance of looking after your mental health and wellbeing and that of your mates. Boehringer Ingelheim have partnered with Farmstrong https://farmstrong.co.nz/ a social good initiative taking a proactive approach to improving the wellbeing of people working in agriculture.

Mr Gardner spoke about pressure and explained that at different times we will all be under pressure from a range of sources. This is especially relevant in agriculture where many of the things that influence the operation of a farm can be influenced by external factors. He emphasised the importance of identifying when we are feeling under pressure and taking steps to address it. If we don't respond when we are under pressure we can go into 'fight, freeze or flight' mode. This isn't good for our mental health and wellbeing, for our relationships or for our workplaces.

Mr Gardner gave examples of how we can work to identify the things that are putting us under pressure and how we can break them down into smaller, manageable parts. By taking small steps we release the pressure we are feeling and progress towards completing the task that is generating the pressure.

He also had a strong message about the importance of looking out for our mates and work colleagues. When we're stressed and under pressure we can feel very isolated but simple acts of connection, taking the time to have a chat, learn something new or share some expertise can make a huge difference. We all thrive on encouragement and support so providing this for each other helps everyone's wellbeing.

Thank you to Mr Gardner for taking the time to share these important messages with our young men. Thank you also to Boehringer Ingelheim who have sponsored shirts for all of the young men involved in the PITO programme.

Thank you to Mr Richard Gavigan who presented certificates to the ten young men who recently completed a shearing course through PITO. Mr Gavigan also explained some of the pathways and opportunities available for those who have an interest in shearing. Thank you also to all of the PITO tutors, who have built very positive relationships with the young men involved in the programme. They have been very proactive in delivering courses tailored to our student's needs and our partnership with PITO is a very successful one.