By Alice McFarlane

Mentoring the next generation of ag leaders

Dec 9, 2020 | 4:46 PM

MELFORT, Sask. – An agriculture mentorship program will have the funding in place to continue for two more years.

The federal and Saskatchewan governments will provide $200,000 for the Next Gen Agriculture Mentorship Program (Next Gen).

The objective of the program is to develop young leaders and prepare them to take on active roles in industry leadership, governance, and efforts to build public trust.

Each applicant is paired with an established member of the agriculture industry. The hope is to increase engagement between experienced professionals and the next generation of industry leaders.

The program, administered by Canadian Western Agribition (CWA), will allow 16 new mentees to enter the program over the next two years.

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CWA President Chris Lees said it has been exciting to watch Next Gen grow over the past two years.

“To see what the mentees are getting out of the program and the connections they’re making is something CWA is proud to be a part of,” Lees said in a news release.

This year, eight applicants will be selected and paired with a mentor for an 18-month mentorship experience beginning in February 2021. Applicants should have clear developmental goals and exhibit strong leadership potential.

Saskatchewan Agriculture Minister David Marit said the agriculture sector is an important driver of economic activity.

“This program offers mentees new opportunities for knowledge sharing and network expansion while ensuring they have the resources they need to contribute to our thriving industry,” Marit said.

Next Gen is funded through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership, a five-year, $388 million investment in strategic initiatives for Saskatchewan agriculture by the federal and provincial governments.

More information about the program is available here.

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alice.mcfarlane@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @AliceMcF