THE call is out for mentors and mentees to help prepare regional Australia against future drought events in the second round of the Drought Resilience Leaders Mentoring Program.
More than 270 people have already signed up to be part of the program but the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation is hoping to expand the pool even further.
The search is on for people involved in farming and seeking trusted advice about their career, farming and personal goals, as well as those interested in supporting the next generation of rural and regional leaders.
NFF president Fiona Simson say mentoring has always been part of farming.
"For generations, farmers have learned from their peers, neighbours and friends," she said.
"This program builds on that and gives farmers the opportunity to learn from others with lived experience and those who really understand farm businesses and the challenges of drought.
"The program is building a network of people from every corner of rural, regional and remote Australia to connect and grow personally and professionally. The NFF is excited to be partnering with the ARLF to deliver such an important initiative."
Round 2 applications are open and the ARLF is encouraging anyone who is interested to apply for this national mentoring program.
ARLF chief executive Matt Linnegar said there had been a fantastic response to the Drought Resilience Leaders Mentoring Program with people from many places and backgrounds putting their hand up to be mentors and mentees.
"It's an opportunity for famers and people in agriculture to work together to support the next generation of regional and rural leaders," he said.
"A chance to test new approaches and thinking, which is something we would like to offer to as many people as possible."
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The Drought Resilience Leaders Mentoring Program brings together farmers and people with a close connection to the agriculture sector to share trusted advice and provide support to help tackle challenges and maximise opportunities associated with climate science, wellbeing, business and agricultural practice.
It pairs farmers, as well as people working in agriculture and the rural sector, with experienced mentors. They will work through a series of six virtual mentoring sessions, to address topics and issues related to their specific goals and needs.
It has been fully funded as part of the government's Future Drought Fund initiative and is as simple as a 'virtual chat' to share knowledge, work towards goals, help solve problems and seek support and advice.
Once the sessions are complete, participants will become part of ARLF's national alumni network providing ongoing access to resources and networks.
It has been designed to share knowledge and build drought and climate resilience in rural communities throughout Australia.
- Apply before November 19 to rural-leaders.org.au/drought-resilience-leaders-mentor-program
New drought resilience webinar series
As part of the Drought Resilience Leaders Program, the ARLF is hosting an eight-part 'lunch and learn' webinar series which will explore what it takes to make Australian rural communities drought and climate change resilient and ready to take on the future.
The first two sessions will be held on 26 October 2021 and 18 November 2021 at 12.00 pm AEDT.
- Webinar 1: Lessons learned from drought - How we can build resilience in rural communities.
- Webinar 2: Inclusion and diversity - Why there is a place for everyone in ag.
The series continues from February 3, 2022 and then on the second Thursday of each month.
Participate in panel discussions with regional leaders and industry professionals and learn from real-life case studies from across the country. Free of charge, the webinar series is open to all.
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