Australian Wool Innovation (AWI), in conjunction with Action4Agriculture, is pleased to announce that Florance McGufficke is the winner of its 2022/23 Emerging Young Leaders Scholarship.
The scholarship will allow Florance to participate in the prestigious Cultivate – Growing Young Leaders program run by Action4 Agriculture. This two-year training package will give Florance exposure to some of the country’s top media and communication specialists and equip her with skills to accelerate her journey in agricultural leadership.
Florance grew up on a sheep and wool enterprise near Cooma in Southern New South Wales and spent her early years in “daddy-day-care” following her father around the sheds and paddocks. It was a formative time for one who has gone on to complete a double degree of Bachelor of Agriculture and Business at the University of New England, and stands at the cusp of a career in the wool industry.
“I believe this scholarship will help me navigate a future in this fast and progressive world with self-confidence and resilience,” Florance said. “I am passionate about agriculture and becoming an ambassador for other young people and about building relationships and networks to promote the benefits and potential of wool; an industry full of opportunity for all.”
“This year marks a decade since AWI first started supporting the Young Farming Champions program. Through Action4Agriculture, the program continues to not only help build the capability of young rural people to farm with resilience and confidence, but also provides a great platform to spark the next generation’s interest in an agricultural career. We are delighted that Florance has been chosen to receive the 2022 AWI scholarship and be trained to become a local face of sustainable wool production. The program is a great way to not only communicate the positive messages of the wool industry to the wider public, but also encourage youngsters into the industry,” said AWI Acting CEO, John Roberts.
As part of the scholarship Florance will hone her skills by engaging with school students as part of The Archibull Prize and the Kreative Koalas – Design a Bright Future Challenge.
Once graduated from the Cultivate program Florance will join the Young Farming Champions, a network of early professionals advocating and leading for agriculture. “The YFC have the ability to empower young people to embrace rural and regional Australia, to explore the supply chains and diverse agricultural enterprises and share this information with various audiences to increase transparency and reduce the amount of misconception between the producer and consumer,” Florance said.
