EDITOR'S NOTE NEWS FLASH LETTER TO THE EDITOR 1 NEW ZEALAND REACTION TO THE ELECTION OF DONALD TRUMP AS AMERICAN PRESIDENT: “The American people have spoken.” John Key (Prime Minister) “There’s no way the TPPA will float now. It’s gone.” Al Gillespie (Waikato University) “If Trump’s economic policies result in slowing the growth of the US economy, we can expect the demand for New Zealand’s exports to drop too.” Catherine Beard (ExportNZ) “It is possible that statements made during the campaign may have been merely rhetoric.” Kirk Hope (BusinessNZ) “I’ve got lots of messages coming through asking for a job in New Zealand, and we’re saying ‘Yes, you can’.” Rod Drury (Xero) “Welcome to 1933, America!” Taika Waititi (actor/director). What can we do to encourage teenagers to take a science/technology/engineering path when considering their options at secondary school and later in their tertiary studies? Is it because they are perceived to be too difficult, not sexy enough or not seen to lead to a useful career? Is the problem due to peer pressure, parental advice or the school system? Maybe there is the fear to commit, the desire to keep your options open or the lack of clear advice. The food industry is hungry for graduates who have the engineering-based skills and the scientific understanding of food. Students who enter the food industry have an assured future in terms of income and opportunities. In New Zealand, because the food industry is such an important part of our economy, the opportunities are greater than many other countries. In the future, New Zealand has to face many challenges. The issues of obesity, diabetes and well-being are examples. Dealing with food waste, consumers’ expectations for safe, shelf-stable, nutritious, exciting and affordable foods are challenges we are facing now, and they all require smart minds and motivated people. Earlier this year, I judged the Food Technology section of a school science fair. It was great to see students participating in this activity. Sadly, many of the students I spoke to did not realise that they needed to do the basic science and mathematics subjects to succeed in the food industry. What is the solution? Earlier this year I was invited to one of New Zealand’s top performing schools to help with their strategic planning. They had concerns that the proportion of Year 13 students continuing on to tertiary study has reduced, although the numbers of students had increased. They asked representatives from several employment sectors and tertiary institutions to comment on what they required in secondary school graduates. There was agreement that students needed to be proficient in the ‘soft skills’ of teamwork, leadership and communication. Promoting the options to school students is key and we spend as much time as we can talking to school students; however we only reach a small proportion of these through the workshops and school visits during the year. I believe scholarships provided by the food industry would help. Scholarships would show a clear career path and serve to promote opportunities in the food industry. These scholarships could be promoted by school careers advisors, and on university websites listed along with other industry scholarships offered from industry sectors such as engineering. If any company is interested in offering scholarships, please contact me and I can put you in touch with experts who can help. Professor Steve Flint, Massey University Kathryn Calvert Editor NZ FOODTechnology 2016 EVENTS TOAST MARTINBOROUGH Martinborough – November 20, 2016 www.Toastmartinborough.co.nz SOUTH ISLAND WINE AND FOOD FESTIVAL Christchurch – December 3, 2016 www.winefestival.co.nz GREAT FITZROY MUSSEL FESTIVAL 2017 Great Barrier Island – January 7, 2017 www.thebarrier.co.nz TWIZEL SALMON AND WINE FESTIVAL Twizel – January 28, 2017 www.facebook.com/ twizelsalmonandwine PINOT NOIR 2017 Wellington – January 31 to February 2, 2017 www.pinotnz.co.nz AROMATICS SYMPOSIUM Nelson – February 3 to 5, 2017 www.winenelson.co.nz MARLBOROUGH WINE AND FOOD FESTIVAL Marlborough – February 11, 2017 www.wine-marlborough-festival.co.nz WAIRARAPA WINES HARVEST FESTIVAL Wairarapa – March 11, 2017 www.wairarapaharvestfestival.co.nz NORTH CANTERBURY WINE AND FOOD FESTIVAL Waipara Valley – March 17, 2017 www.waiparavalleynz.com MANGAWHAI FOOD AND WINE FESTIVAL Mangawhai – March 25, 2017 www.mangawhaiwalking.co.nz Got an event you want your industry to know about? Contact the editor: kcalvert@hayleymedia.com SIGN UP FOR YOUR FREE DIGITAL SUBSCRIPTION foodtechnology.co.nz It’s been a year since I took over editorship of the magazine, and it’s pleasing to finish 2016 how we started it – talking about junk food advertising to children. Our February cover – of a baby holding a television remote with the ‘golden arches’ reflected in his eyes – was one of our most popular of the year, and the new proposals (covered on pages 17 to 19) for the Advertising Standards Authority Children’s Codes look very promising in helping to combat New Zealand’s ongoing issues with child obesity. However, the food technology industry faces an even harder issue…a dire lack of qualified workers. That’s why the plea below from Professor Steve Flint of Massey University is crucial – universities around the country must be able to offer industry scholarships to secondary school students keen on a career in food, and those students must be advised correctly when choosing subjects from Year 9. Does your company already assist students at university and, if so, does it work well for you? What other solutions should we be considering? As this is the last issue for the year, please accept our warmest wishes for the upcoming Christmas and New Year seasons. Happy holidays. A MESSAGE TO PONDER OVER THE SUMMER BREAK…
FT-Nov16
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