A unique program aimed at upskilling participants in the red meat supply chain on community engagement and key aspects of communication is set to return from November.
Expressions of interest are now open for Meat & Livestock Australia's renowned Ambassadors for the Red Meat Industry training program, with four workshops set to be held between November 2024 and May 2025.
The program equips passionate people within the red meat industry with the confidence and skills to engage with people outside of agriculture. In addition, they also learn the skills required to tell their own authentic stories on why they love working in the Australian red meat industry.
MLA Group Manager - Community Communications and Events Samantha Jamieson said there has been solid demand from the industry for the Ambassadors program.
"The program is now in its fourth year, with 425 people from across Australia having received professional training in community engagement, communication through media and social media, and building trust with consumers," Ms Jamieson said.
"Since the program's inception, we have been blown away by the amount of interest from people across the red meat supply chain who want to be able to effectively tell the great story of Australian red meat production."
MLA will deliver four Ambassadors workshops in the 2024-25 financial year:
- Brisbane: 27-28 November 2024
- Melbourne: 5-6 March 2025
- Sydney: 2-3 April 2025
- Western Australia (TBC): 30 April-1 May 2025
Ms Jamieson said those who complete the program will join a wider alumni network of likeminded industry champions.
"We conduct a number of alumni engagement activities throughout the year which enable our Red Meat Ambassadors to put their skills into practice," Ms Jamieson said.
"Ambassadors alumni receive regular communication and updates through groups on social media, a regular newsletter and WhatsApp which keeps them up to date with the latest developments from the program."
Victorian mixed farmer Jamie Pepper, Tahara, became a Red Meat Ambassador in December 2022 after completing a workshop at Bendigo.
He said he valued the opportunity to upskill in areas such as social media and media interviews.
"Learning to use social media to help tell the story of my 'why' was a big takeaway for me from the program," Mr Pepper said.
"Another learning curve was the mock media interviews we did. It was just dynamite in terms of learning what happens if an interviewer asks a couple of tricky questions, how to get back on topic, preparing speaking points and other key aspects of preparation.
"I've done quite a few interviews now and I always think back to the mock interview from the training we did just to prepare."
Submit an expression of interest for the 2024-25 program at MLA Red Meat Ambassadors
