A $1.1 million agriculture and trades facility at Mount Hutt College in Methven is in its final stages of completion, with a Rabobank Community Fund grant helping to kit out the last remaining classroom in a project funded entirely by the school board and community.

Amy Honeywell, coordinator of the Ōpuke Innovation Hub, says the project has been years in the making.

“The Hub is an initiative that the school and the community have launched together to strengthen the provisions for agriculture and trades learning in our region,” she says.

The trades space, Honeywell says, comprises a large workshop, classroom, open bay and outdoor agriculture area, and is now fully operational.

“All of the funds that we generate are to build our new facility.

“We have built a large pole shed, and we’re trying to get the last amount of money to kit out our agriculture classroom.

“It’s a shell, and it has been painted and plastered, but we need everything to make it a real classroom ready for our students.”

Honeywell says the remaining spend covers flooring, heat pumps, furniture and finishing touches on the exterior.

The trades programme has been running for two years, with classes capped at 12 students.

“It’s opening their eyes to possibilities and opportunities that are out there that they may not have been aware of, or else have a go at a range of different things and see what spins their wheels.

“Within this huge agriculture sector that we live in in Mid Canterbury, the trades very much tie in with the agriculture sector in every way.”

Honeywell says the programme began with a Year 11 cohort, added Year 12 this year and will include Year 13 students next year. She says a refreshed agriculture programme was also launched this year.

“We have two different lines, Farming for the Future, which is an agri-science course, and we have Agri Fundamentals, which is more hands-on practical learning.

“Students can choose to do one of those or both of those.”

Funding for the initiative is ongoing.

“We’ve got a buy-a-brick campaign happening, so any donors can invest at whatever level they like, and they can have a brick in our pathway.”

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