Meet Jack
About me
Name: Jack Trewick
Job: Farmer at Cramlington Park
VET: Certificate IV in Agriculture
Location: Elmore
I really liked doing my apprenticeship while I was at school, it gave me the best of both worlds
My story
What do you do?
I work in broadacre farming which means that we grow canola, wheat, barley and chickpeas on a large scale, and we export hay.
On a daily basis, I might be doing anything from harvesting crops to odd jobs around the farm. During harvest season, cut the hay and the baler compresses it into nice, neat blocks ready to be exported.
What was your VET journey?
I did a school-based apprenticeship and really enjoyed the mix of hands-on work as well as traditional schoolwork. I learnt a lot from my Agriculture trainer, and also passed on some information to him about how we work at the farm.
I won the School-Based Apprentice of the Year in 2017 and 2018 from Campaspe Cohuna Local Learning and Employment Network.
What advice would you give to students who are considering a vocational pathway?
You’ve got to do it. It’s hands-on, and you learn all of these extra things like how to talk to people, how to speak well on the phone, how to respond to situations you’ve never been in before. It’s great!
What challenges did you face along the way?
My biggest challenge was getting my homework in on time.
Work hours?
8am–5pm (depending on the season)
Inside or outside?
Mainly outside, plus a little bit of work in the workshop
Solo or teamwork?
Both
Perks?
I love working on the farm; couldn’t be happier
People don't know?
Farming involves using a phone a lot, from making phone calls for business decisions, checking the weather, to looking up prices on the products that we produce.
Average salary?
$1,000 per week for a young farmer
Reviewed 30 November 2021