Florance McGufficke is the 2022 AWI Emerging Young Leaders scholarship winner.

DADDY-DAY-CARE graduate Florance McGufficke is the winner of its 2022/23 Emerging Young Leaders Scholarship.

Australian Wool Innovation runs the scholarship program in conjunction with Action4Agriculture, and said Florance will attend the prestigious Cultivate – Growing Young Leaders program run by Action4 Agriculture.

The two-year training package will give Florance exposure to some of the country’s top media and communication specialists and equip her with skills to accelerate her journey in agricultural leadership.

Florance grew up on a sheep and wool enterprise near Cooma in southern New South Wales and spent her early years in “daddy-day-care” following her father around the sheds and paddocks. It was a formative time for one who has gone on to complete a double degree of Bachelor of Agriculture and Business at the University of New England, and stands at the cusp of a career in the wool industry, AWI said.

Florance said she believed the scholarship will help her navigate a future in the fast and progressive world with self-confidence and resilience.

“I am passionate about agriculture and becoming an ambassador for other young people and about building relationships and networks to promote the benefits and potential of wool; an industry full of opportunity for all.”

AWI’s acting chief executive officer, John Roberts, said this year marks a decade since AWI first started supporting the Young Farming Champions program.

“Through Action4Agriculture, the program continues to not only help build the capability of young rural people to farm with resilience and confidence, but also provides a great platform to spark the next generation’s interest in an agricultural career.

“We are delighted that Florance has been chosen to receive the 2022 AWI scholarship and be trained to become a local face of sustainable wool production,” he said.

“The program is a great way to not only communicate the positive messages of the wool industry to the wider public, but also encourage youngsters into the industry.”

As part of the scholarship Florance will hone her skills by engaging with school students as part of The Archibull Prize and the Kreative Koalas – Design a Bright Future Challenge.

On her graduation from the Cultivate program, Florance will join the Young Farming Champions, a network of early professionals advocating and leading for agriculture.

“The YFC have the ability to empower young people to embrace rural and regional Australia, to explore the supply chains and diverse agricultural enterprises and share this information with various audiences to increase transparency and reduce the amount of misconception between the producer and consumer,” Florance said.

Source: AWI.