Cocks said she learned the most from the programme panel session.
“I especially enjoyed hearing from the panellists who had roles similar to what I am considering doing in the future.
“I also learned through the visits and talks that you have to put yourself out there, take any opportunities on offer, and be willing to learn.”
Funded by Rabobank, the programme is run by Lincoln University’s Future Leaders scholars, many of whom are only a few years older than participants and come from non-farming backgrounds.
Rabobank Upper South Island client council chairman and Oakley’s founder Robin Oakley said more than 80 students applied for this year’s programme.
Young women made up more than three-quarters of applicants and 19 of the 25 students selected to attend.
Oakley said it was encouraging to see so many young women interested in careers in the sector ahead of the United Nations’ Year of the Woman Farmer in 2026.
Lincoln High School student Milan O’Neill said the programme showed her what was out there.
“It was way more interesting and eye-opening than I’d expected,” she said.
“I really enjoyed visiting all the different operations, and I discovered there were way more opportunities in the sector than I’d originally thought there would be.”
O’Neill said she’d enjoyed getting behind the scenes to see how things work, as well as learning about people’s career pathways.
“A fair few of the people that we heard from hadn’t come from farming backgrounds or gone to uni, and it was interesting to hear how they started at the bottom and have made their way up.”