Olivia enjoys best of both worlds
Olivia Barsley knew from an early age that she preferred to work on a farm and get her hands dirty, rather than studying for a university degree or sitting in front of an office computer.
Today as a Parts Apprentice with Hutcheon & Pearce in Cowra, NSW, Olivia has the best of both worlds, training online through John Deere University and working each day in the dealership to provide customers with essential parts.
"The most rewarding part of my day is seeing the customer walk through the door and leave with a satisfied smile. You never know what's coming, and every day is different," Olivia said.
"It's unbelievable, to win this award, but it's definitely thanks to everyone at work pushing me to get out there and have a go. The team is what keeps me coming in to work every day."
Keen to work with livestock, Olivia left her city home in Perth, WA, and moved to New South Wales, where she completed a Certificate III in Agriculture at Tocal College and broadened her experience by showing stud cattle and working on stations, feedlots and mixed farms before starting her traineeship with Hutcheon & Pearce.
Olivia's passion for the agriculture sector was evident in her acceptance speech at the Awards Gala Dinner.
"I'm very glad to be a woman in ag and part of the Australian farming economy," she said.
And she has some advice for anyone, experienced or not, who wants to get into parts interpretation in agriculture.
"I would say just get in and give it a crack. As long as you're interested in learning, it's not as daunting as it sounds and it's definitely interesting to me every day.
"When I first started my traineeship, I was unsure as to whether I could do it, which held me back a little bit. But giving it a go was probably the best thing that could've happened, because it wasn't as hard as I thought and now I'm here!"