About the Careers Pathway Scheme
The purpose of the scheme is to grow the number and diversity of advisers in the primary industry advisory sector.
Independent advisory companies and whenua Māori entities may be eligible to receive financial support when hiring new advisers or upskilling existing staff.
Why the scheme is needed
The agriculture and horticulture advisory sectors have an ageing workforce and a shortage of advisers. The scheme is supporting the development of up to 100 skilled farm advisers.
This will ensure farmers, growers, and whenua Māori owners have access to high-quality farm planning, support, and advice.
There has been an emphasis on attracting more advisers who are:
- women
- graduates
- Māori
- career changers.
2023 Careers Pathway Scheme – Case study [PDF, 3.7 MB]
Types of funding offered
Financial support has been split into categories, based on an adviser’s experience.
- New and early career advisers – $22,500 per year (for up to 3 years) to help cover salary and training costs.
- Experienced advisers – one-off contributions towards training costs to grow skills required to support farmers with integrated farm planning.
Applications opened in April 2022.
Application criteria
Independent advisory companies and whenua Māori entities may be eligible for funding.
Applications have been encouraged if you:
- wanted to develop great advisers
- supported the use of integrated farm planning
- had access to experienced advisers
- could support professional development with a steady workflow
- wanted to grow your team’s diversity
- were eager to expand your understanding of whenua Māori needs.
If you have questions about the scheme, or to register your interest, email slu.team@mpi.govt.nz
Find out more
Integrated farm planning fact sheet [PDF, 318 KB]
Good farm planning principles: Towards integrated farm planning [PDF, 1022 KB]
