Mentoring program inspires rural achiever, Redman
Author: Terry Redman
Published on: 21-February-2011
Agriculture and Food Minister Terry Redman has congratulated participants of a successful project to help develop future leaders for the agrifood sector.
The Grow Zone Mentoring Program targets high achievers in the rural sector and provides them with skills development through mentoring.
At a ceremony in Perth last Thursday night, Mr Redman thanked leaders from the wider business community who had provided mentoring support during the past six months to eight ‘mentees’.
“Each participant has worked on an individual project in their area of interest with the support of their mentor during six months,” he said.
“The program showcases the incredibly diverse range of talented, visionary and ambitious people in WA agriculture. The future of the industry looks very bright.”
Projects covered a range of areas including grains, livestock, wine, natural resource management, tourism, business development and value adding.
The program, co-ordinated by the Rural Business Development Corporation, has expanded following a successful pilot in 2009.
“The Grow Zone Mentoring Program is just one example of how inspiration and innovation can be harnessed and developed for the future benefit of regional and rural WA,” the Minister said.
“The mentors are experienced leaders and entrepreneurs with diverse skill sets - for example, one mentor I spoke with was a vice-president at The Walt Disney Company and other media organisations.
”WA agriculture has endured some tough times lately - we’ve had droughts, floods and storms. While the Liberal-National Government is committed to assisting industry with the challenges it faces now, it’s also important we look to the future and Grow Zone is part of that.”
Minister's office - 9213 6700
Pictured L-R - RBDC director Maree Gooch, DAFWA Rural Business Development Unit manager Lewis Mavrantonis, Agriculture and Food Minister Terry Redman, mentee Kim Tyrer and mentor Andrew Hanna.
