On-farm training initiative a hit among young adults with high-functioning disabilities

A training initiative in Southland is giving young adults with high-functioning disabilities the skills required to work on a dairy farm.

Michial Todd is the first trainee to graduate and now he's a certified dairy farm relief worker.

"When Michial got his Agricademy certificate he was dressed in a suit and I don't think the smile left his face.

"He was just so proud of himself and we were proud for him," Lynda Gilkison said.

She is the chair and a founding member of the Whanake House Charitable Trust, that runs the Dairy Farm Training programme.

"So, the reason that [the programme] eventuated was that I have a son who's 27 and has Asperger's and at that time, when he left school, it was quite hard to find a job for him," Gilkison said.

Fortunately, she said, a dairy farmer was happy to take him on and teach him how to milk cows in a structured and clear way.

"Once he learnt the steps, he just grew in confidence and he became a really successful dairy farmer."

She wanted other young adults with special needs to have access to hands-on work experience too.

Whanake House teamed up with the Rabobank Community Fund, which agreed to support the programme, and education provider Agricademy, which supplies online video training to help develop practical skills.

It's Gilkison's job to match the trainees with dairy farmers. She said the biggest challenge was finding the right fit.

"'Maybe a farmer that wants to give back to the community, someone that's compassionate and patient. Mel has all those qualities. She's been a really good fit for Michial."

Bluff contract milker Mel Pennicott offered the 19-year-old a position on her farm. He's been there for a year and said working with Pennicott was a privilege.

"I've been enjoying it. I like being with the cows and being in the shed," Todd said.

So why did the farmer link up with this training programme in the first place?

"This may be the wrong way to say it, but I bet for the underdog, everybody deserves a chance," Pennicott said.

During the week, Michial lives in a sleepout on the property. This has helped him to become independent and look after himself.

Pennicott said winter was not the easiest time for Michial to start as it was extremely wet.

"We were driving in paddocks on a motorbike and you would just sink."

She nicknamed Todd 'Boots' as he kept on getting stuck in mud.

"He hadn't worked out the skill that when the mud's halfway up your boot, you actually roll your foot forward.

"So, for a while there I would just crack up laughing and tell him 'roll that foot, roll that foot, come on Boots'."

Despite the challenging conditions, winter was a good time to start working on the farm.

"So that's when you can focus on basic animal health, picking up little things like the fencing, moving stock, working out their feed allowance and stuff like that," Pennicott said.

Despite the hard work and long days Todd is making the most of the opportunity.

"It felt like it was like a change, change for my life and getting away from, I guess, the stuff that goes on at home," he said.

Todd and Pennicott have become good friends and she was proud of what he had achieved, workwise and on a personal level.

"The little steps he's taking, being able to talk about his life, being able to talk about his home, the challenges, it's all progress in the right direction," Pennicott said.

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Learn more:

• Learn more about Whanake house here.