Hay Inc Rural Education Program

Hay Inc is a not for profit organisation which delivers practical hands-on agricultural skills training that covers all the necessary skills of stockmanship in both sheep and cattle production. The Program also develops networks between district landholders, employers, industry professionals and the Hay Inc students, and provides ongoing mentoring into the future. The program has been running for 8 years and now has 115 young people in the Hay Inc Alumni Network. This includes ongoing sharing of opportunities and support and Hay Inc Alumni Networking Events. The participants of the program make mates for life! There are also Scholarship opportunities for the Alumni - Mathew Vick Scholarship and the Future Merino Breeder Scholarship (NSW Stud Merino Breeders). The rural education program is an affordable program for 18 to 25 year olds and includes accommodation and some meals. The training includes some accredited modules (WHS, First Aid, Sheep Handling, Operate Quad/2 wheel motorbike) other practical training modules delivered by professional industry champions. These include sheep and cattle stockmanship, merino sheep classing, live lamb assessment, working dog training and management, motor bike maintenance, on farm butchering, stock water repairs & maintenance, fence constructions and maintenance, lamb post mortems, shearing and shed management, grazing management. The training is delivered on a variety working sheep and cattle properties in the Hay district. The participants of the program get to learn about these properties from the farm managers and owners who assist with the training. The Program has a strong community support and is well respected in the industry. Hay Inc is proudly funded by NSW Government in association with Hay Inc Key Partner Australian Wool Innovation. Australian Wool Innovation (AWI) delivered startup funding to assist with the establishment of Hay Inc in 2014 and has continued to support the successful well-regarded program.