With her eyes firmly on a future in the beef industry, Bonnie Cox has been awarded the inaugural Angus Foundation and AuctionsPlus Cadetship.
As part of the recently launched industry cadetship program, designed to encourage and assist the involvement of young people in the Australian beef industry and to provide a vast array of professional development opportunities for young beef breeders, the cadetship will see Bonnie take part in a four-week placement working with online marketplace AuctionsPlus in their day-to-day operations.
Following her placement, Bonnie will conclude her cadetship by completing the Marcus Oldham Rural Leadership Course.
During the cadetship, Bonnie will develop a unique understanding of how AuctionsPlus works and the important role they play in global food production.
Angus Australia Extension Manager Jake Phillips looks forward to seeing Bonnie’s progress during her time in her cadetship.
“We congratulate Bonnie on being awarded the inaugural AuctionsPlus Cadetship. Bonnie has displayed a desire to continue to build on her existing experience and development within this industry and establish herself with a long-term career as a beef producer,” said Jake.
“We look forward to seeing Bonnie in her cadetship role at AuctionsPlus and to follow her personal and professional development, exploring opportunities in one of the many career avenues the agricultural industry has to offer.”
AuctionsPlus Chief Executive Officer Angus Street said, “It’s fantastic to see the Angus Youth Program going from strength to strength. We see the program as a fantastic way to support the next generation of young men and women coming through the industry.”
“We’re looking forward to welcoming Bonnie into AuctionsPlus to learn more about our business and get to know our team.”
As a young person cementing herself in the agricultural industry, Bonnie is extremely excited to start her experience with AuctionsPlus.
“My current job involves sales, networking, building relationships and using new technologies. The cadetship, I believe, will help me to build on these skills, give me confidence to make quicker decisions, improve my communication skills and how to manage the daily stresses and work effectively in a bigger organisation,” said Bonnie.
“I’m also hoping to be shown different career paths I’ve not known existed that I could pursue while working to get a place of my own. I’m studying a Bachelor of Ag and I’m hoping the people I meet and the different experiences they’ve had will open my thoughts on the variety of careers in the cattle industry. I’m hoping that it will enhance my studies and bring a different perspective.”
When asked about where she sees herself in the industry in the future, Bonnie said, “My family breeds Angus and without a doubt I want to be able to follow that path. My career thoughts have changed over my teens but in my twenties I’ve come back and found my place in the ag industry. My dream is to own my own property and to breed beef. There’s a long way to go to owning my own operation but each opportunity will help me reach my goal.”
“I’d also love to be able to give young people, who don’t have an agricultural background and wish to get involved in the industry, a helping hand to learn and have good experiences without being turned away because they’re not from a rural background. I think it’s important to encourage all types of youth to look to the agricultural industry for a career path.”
About Bonnie:
Bonnie has a long history with the Angus breed, growing up showing cattle for her family’s stud at local shows in the New England area and competing in paraders and junior judging competitions. She competed in the Angus Youth National Roundup for a number years, and currently works for studs competing at the Royal shows.
She also assists in running a small commercial beef farm south of Sydney and works as NSW Sales Manager for WatersUps, a role which exposes her cliental throughout NSW. She holds certificate 3 in Equine Performance and Primary Industries and is currently studying a Bachelor of Agriculture at Charles Sturt.
About the Angus Foundation:
The Angus Foundation provides a mechanism for members and other beef industry stakeholders to support youth development, education and research programs conducted by Angus Australia.
These programs are designed to encourage and assist the involvement of young people in the Australian beef industry, to provide professional development opportunities for young beef breeders, and to assist in conducting research, development and educational programs for the benefit of Angus breeders and the wider Australian beef industry.
The Angus Foundation can only operate and facilitate financial support to initiatives through the generous sponsorship from Angus Australia members and industry partners who elect to donate to the Foundation.
These funds are crucial to the ongoing support the Angus Foundation gives many parts of the Angus Youth program including scholarships, awards and bursaries as well as important research and development overseen by Angus Australia.
