One of the highlights of the recent Upper Hunter Beef Bonanza at Scone was a scholarship that aims to encourage young women and men to advance their careers in the beef industry.
With more than 50 students interviewed, 13 were shortlisted before two winners were chosen.
Sponsored by Waverley Station, Scone, the inaugural scholarship recipients were Jorja Barnett, St Paul's Secondary College, Kempsey and Dominic Edwards, Yanco Agricultural High School, Yanco.
Waverley Station's George Crouch said the station had been involved as a supporter of the Beef Bonanza for a decade or more.
He said each applicant had to deliver a short speech of around a minute on what they wanted to be as part of the beef production industry.
He said the Bonanza is an excellent breeding ground for young, talented people within the beef industry, and it was becoming more difficult to find young people to join the beef industry as employees.
"To be able to foster something with this internship program and to try and get them down to King Island, particularly," Mr Crouch said.
"As that's our factory where we run 10,000 to 12,000 breeding cows, we get all those progeny to a feedlot weight and then sell them off the island.
"We want to get a placement on King Island and also here at Scone as it's our genetic hub where we produce a large number of bull to send down to King Island.
"It takes a lot to produce a good quality beef animal," he said.
Mr Crouch said the placements would initially be for one week, two times a year.
"They'll get to go down to King Island and really observe and experience, get in the yards if necessary and lend a hand. But it's really to open their eyes to how a large-scale intensive environment operates, which you don't see a lot of."
