Longerenong College students, Thomas Baird and Melea McKay were recently awarded the 2021/2022 Fox & Lillie Rural Foundation Scholarships.
The two $5,000 scholarships are designed to help support young people who are looking to pursue a career in the agricultural industry, providing financial assistance towards tuition fees and student housing over the two-year course period.
Fox & Lillie Rural has been offering student scholarships at Longerenong College for more than five years as part of the company’s ongoing commitment to attract more young people to the wool industry.
“We’re excited to be playing our role in supporting the next generation coming into the agribusiness industry. Longerenong College and other agriculture colleges and universities are providing students with excellent training in the rural sector and we are excited to see there is so much growing interest in the industry.” said Fox & Lillie Rural Managing Director, Jonathan Lillie.
Thomas Baird from Curlwaa in New South Wales was one of the two students who each received the $5,000 Fox & Lillie Rural scholarship and said the scholarship will provide great financial stability for his studies.
“It’s been fantastic meeting all these likeminded people at Longerenong College. Undertaking work placement at Fox & Lillie this year as part of the scholarship will provide another perspective into the wool industry and how it all works and I’m really looking forward to this.”
Longerenong College’s Business Development Officer, Donna Winfield said the college has had a booming couple of years with a high number of enrolments for the 2022.
“The range of animal, agronomy, business and digital studies offered at Longerenong College has drawn a lot of interest from young people from all around Australia who are looking to pursue a career in the agricultural industry.”
To keep up with the increasing demand, Longerenong College recently announced their new $6.5 million-dollar project, funded by the Victorian Government’s Agricultural College Modernisation Program. The project will construct new student accommodation, a communal building, parking and landscape and is already underway and set for completion at the end of 2023.
“The project will support the college to meet the increasing demand from students who wish to study agriculture while experiencing the benefits associated with a full-residential education experience.” said Donna.
“We thank companies like Fox & Lillie who have been supporting students at the college for a number of years and continue to do so. These scholarships have the ability to change the course of someone’s future whether it be from the financial contribution or from the experience gained during the work placement offered.”
