Agricultural business McGregor Gourlay, in conjunction with Moree Secondary College, has initiated a scholarship programme to assist local agriculture students with costs as they begin their university studies.
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Group commercial manager Michael Slater said the McGregor Gourlay Scholarship Programme is an opportunity to invest in local, young talent to ensure they remain in the agriculture industry moving forward.
“We help with the winner’s university costs on an annual basis until completion of their degree,” he said.
“They will also return during university holidays to work with our agronomy team, across the diverse segments of agriculture we advise on from broadacre cropping, cotton, livestock, pastures and horticulture.
“This ensures when their degree is complete they not only will have the technical ability but also practical knowledge and people skills required for the job.”
Scholarship recipients will receive $5,000 annually to go towards study expenses, plus guaranteed paid on the job training at McGregor Gourlay for the full duration of each university break.
The initial scholarship winner is Charlotte Meppem, who will commence her Rural Science degree at the University of New England, Armidale next month.
Charlotte has been very active in the community during her schooling years participating in many sporting and cultural pursuits.
She is part of a sixth generation of her family to work on the land, with her parents owning a grazing property east of Bellata and her brother being a private broadacre agronomist.
Charlotte said she has always wanted to be an agronomist and stay around the Moree area, so this scholarship provides her an amazing opportunity to do that.
“I’m really lucky,” she said.
“McGregor Gourlay is one of the leading agribusiness companies we have in Moree and if they’re willing to give you an absolute head start, it’s everything you’re looking for if you’re passionate about what you want to do.”
Charlotte began working for McGregor Gourlay as soon as she finished the HSC in October last year and during that time has already had the opportunity to work with agronomists doing cotton work, finishing the chickpea harvest, doing precision ag such as flying drones and conducting testing, as well as the chance to work at one of their coastal branches.
“I’ll be able to come back from uni and have holiday work in the field I’m going into,” she said.
“I’ll also be able to do a lot of my pracs with McGregor Gourlay and will have work at the end of my degree.
“It will give me something to work towards and the scholarship will be a big help with study costs.”
This year McGregor Gourlay intend to expand the programme to include a student from the Northern Rivers area, where they have four stores.
