Growing future farmers with Primary ITO Trades Academy

Students gain hands-on experience with tasks such as fencing

Surrounded by the strong farming community in Tararua District, Dannevirke High School – with a roll of 420 – supports students to explore and prepare for a wide range of career pathways. Students have the option to undertake vocational training in a variety of trades including agriculture, alongside academic subjects.

In 2021 Dannevirke High School partnered with Primary ITO to give Year 11-13 agriculture students the opportunity to gain hands-on farming skills and practical experience through Trades Academy. Each week the students spend one or two days on local farms, learning from experienced Trades Academy tutors and farmers in a mix of classroom and on-farm learning. Students learn a wide range of skills from fencing, shearing and drenching to vaccinating livestock and livestock movement, while working towards a New Zealand Certificate in Primary Industry Skills Level 2 or 3.

Dannevirke High School Student Shearing

Field trips to local businesses in the rural sector showcase the wide range of career pathways on offer, while workplace etiquette and soft skills such as communication, teamwork and interpersonal skills form a natural part of the learning.

Assistant Principal Charlie Menzies says local farmers voiced the need for keen school leavers to fill farm vacancies and keep new blood coming into the industry.

Charlie says the partnership with Primary ITO has created a flexible pathway for students, whether they already have a strong interest in agriculture or are discovering a passion for the industry.

“We have had a really good strike rate with students being accepted into cadetships over the past few years. We are thrilled with what Primary ITO offers to our students.”

Some students have been accepted into prestigious agricultural cadetship schemes, while others have gone straight into employment on farm, with the opportunity to enrol in dairy, sheep, beef or deer farming apprenticeships through Primary ITO.

Shane Boderick, Trades Academy Team Leader, says Dannevirke High School has one of the highest success rates of ag students progressing on to cadetships or employment on farm.

Year 12 Trades Academy student Grace Morgans is taking the next step in her farming career after being accepted for the Pukemiro Station cadetship in 2027. She has enjoyed the variety of farm tasks she’s undertaken through Trades Academy.

“It’s given me the opportunity to learn various ways that farmers approach farm tasks. We are not just learning one way of doing things,” she says.

While she had some farm experience through her older brother, a farm manager, she believes the skills learned through Trades Academy have set her up and given her a head start for the cadetship.

Myles Henricksen, also in Year 12, has been accepted into the inaugural Moeangiangi Station cadetship for 2027. Classmates Nathan and Jason Gundry will return to school and Trades Academy next year for Year 13.

Myles has followed his father around the family farm since he was young. The Gundry boys live rurally - not on a farm - and have gained experience on neighbours' farms.

They believe Trades Academy is providing useful life skills, for gaining employment and working life on the farm. 

“It teaches you different approaches to farm management. The course offers a good variety of skills with enough repetition to develop a strong foundation,” Myles says.

Shane Boderick says the support of local farms and staff is vital.

Primary ITO Trades Academy currently works with 103 schools across New Zealand. In 2026, 1160 students are gaining valuable practical skills, experience and entry-level qualifications in agriculture, horticulture, and other sectors.

Find out more about Primary ITO Trades Academy and Gateway programmes on our website here.