Nia Hunter, 19, is from Shetland and has various jobs within the agricultural industry.
“I have just completed an SVQ level 3 and 4 in Agriculture through doing an apprenticeship with A&D Hunter which is our family run business. We are a beef and sheep enterprise.
Since leaving school in 2020 I have had various jobs throughout Shetland within the agricultural industry which has enabled me to gain valuable skills working for different people and to experience other aspects of the industry.
Shetland is quite limited in terms of farm work as it is a small island so most farms cannot sustain an additional wage. I always knew farming was what I wanted to do and knew full-time work on a farm would be hard to get so I overcame that challenge by pushing myself and grabbing every opportunity possible.
Day-to-day jobs on the farm vary depending on which season it is but my main tasks consist of making sure the animals are fed, watered and happy along with ensuring we are producing quality silage off our fields for them to eat throughout the winter.
I worked weekends on Quendale Farm which allowed me to have a foot in the dairy industry and see how things were done there.
I also work in our local marts as a yards person for Shetland Livestock Marketing Group, which has helped to give me an eye for good stock and allowed me to network with the farming community.
Our local slaughterhouse is also run by SLMG and were struggling for staff, I wanted to help out as the slaughterhouse is so valued by the community and the quality of meat in Shetland is so high, so I said I would go and give it a go but couldn’t guarantee it would be for me.
I instantly found learning a complete new skill set was so rewarding and the respect for the animals throughout the whole process made me want to be part of it and maintain the standard so I worked towards getting my license for slaughtering sheep which I achieved and now I am working towards my cattle license.
I am happy to say that I have managed to turn a positive into a negative in that limited work on farms in Shetland has pushed me to explore aspects of the industry I never would have done if I was doing farm work full-time.
I am truly passionate about playing a part in producing quality local produce and I am proud to say I am part of every stage of the process.
My favourite thing about my career is being able to work outdoors and with animals. It is such a rewarding feeling seeing them content and happy and then enjoying quality local produce the animals provide us with.
Doing an apprenticeship allowed me to earn while I worked and take the knowledge I gained at college and apply it directly to my job. I found this was a great way of learning as it broadened my understanding about the units I was being taught.
We also got to visit and hear about a range of different farming businesses operating within the sector which I found really inspiring as it has helped me to set some of the goals in my career.
I am so grateful for the funding I received throughout my apprenticeship and would strongly recommend anybody considering an apprenticeship in any industry to go for it.
My biggest achievements in my career so far has been winning the Lantra ALBAS awards overall winner, along with being awarded Agriculture Learner of the year, Modern Apprentice of the year and the CARAS awards.
I was blown away by the support and congratulations I got afterwards and was inspired by the incredible people I met that night from all industries.
I am also now part of the Lantra Industry Champions initiative which so far I have thoroughly enjoyed. It is a great opportunity to network with like-minded people to inspire and promote the next generation along with making friends for life through it! I am truly honoured to be recognised in my industry as it is something I am so passionate about.
In future I hope to complete my Technical Apprenticeship qualifications and secure full-time work on a farm somewhere and apply all of the skills I have learned.