Scholarship Program
If you’re passionate about health and fitness and have what it takes to help your community stay fit, strong and connected then we want to hear from you!
At Hutcheon & Pearce, we’re all about powering farms and keeping farmers moving. We’re committed to building stronger, more resilient regional communities and finding new ways to make that happen. So, we’ve partnered with our good friends at Active Farmers and FIT College, as well as AgXtra and Grampians Health to offer six EMPOWERED Scholarships valued at $7000 each (including training courses, equipment, uniform and community launch event) to see more qualified personal trainers in our regional areas. Don’t miss out!
Let’s get moving.
Complete the form below and we'll contact you when future Empowered Scholarships Program announcements take place!
What is EMPOWERED?
EMPOWERED is a scholarship program open to people in the rural and regional communities
Australia-wide. It’s designed to help motivated people from regional areas become personal trainers and go on to work in their communities as part of the Active Farmers network.
Through an EMPOWERED Scholarship, you will have the opportunity to get fit, become a qualified personal trainer, work with people in your community to improve their physical fitness, mental wellbeing and connectedness, and gain a new career and sense of purpose.
What is involved?
The EMPOWERED scholarship program will pay for you to complete your Certificate III and IV in Personal Training through FIT College and its online study modules. Scholarship recipients must sign a contract with Active Farmers to teach for two years in their community following completion of Certificate III and while completing Certificate IV.
As part of your studies, you’ll cover topics such as Healthy Eating, Functional Movement Assessment, Introduction to Exercise Science, Programming for Personal Training and Fitness Business.
It would normally take approximately 24 weeks to become a fully qualified personal trainer when studying part-time and the FIT College program is a nationally accredited qualification. Read more about online study with FIT College. >>
What support will I get?
You’ll be part of a cohort of six hand-picked regional people going through the program together. You’ll also have access to a team of FIT College Tutors who support your learning and you’ll become part of the Active Farmers network, which provides support and resources to 33 trainers across the country.
You’ll also get an equipment starter kit worth $1300, uniform and a launch event to kickstart your community.
What work opportunities will I have after study?
Personal Training is a highly flexible role that you can fit in around your circumstances and you can choose to work with individuals, groups, children or older adults. It’s up to you.
With a FIT College qualification, you will be recognised as a qualified trainer wherever you go in the world, but the EMPOWERED program guarantees you two years of work with Active Farmers. Once that is completed, you can stay on with Active Farmers, create your own business, or ideally blend both.
How do I apply?
It’s simple. Create a short video outlining what you love about fitness and your community, why you want to start your personal training journey, how you think you can empower others to stay fit and well and how having a local Active Farmers trainer would be a benefit your community.
When will the successful applicants be announced?
The competition is open now until 24th October. Our panel of judges will then assess all application videos and select six applicants to receive an EMPOWERED
scholarship. Winners will be announced publicly on this website and social media on 11 December. All winners will be notified prior to this public announcement and their training will commence in February 2022.
FOR ANY FURTHER INFORMATION OR IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE CALL THE HUTCHEON & PEARCE MARKETING COORDINATOR
HARRIET MACLEAY ON 0409 140 293
Our Partners
Beginning in 2015, Active Farmers was designed to bring the entire community together through regular group fitness classes in a fun and interactive environment and tackle the high prevalence of mental illness in the bush.
Today Active Farmers is a not-for-profit with the vision to build stronger and more resilient farming communities. Led by a fantastic board, three part-time staff, multiple volunteers and a team of 33 qualified personal trainers, Active Farmers exists in over 45 small farming communities across the country. Their goal is to grow to service more than 100 small farming communities nationally and ultimately save more lives by taking a proactive and grassroots approach towards health.
Registering as an RTO for fitness in 2009, FIT College aims to deliver only the best Fitness, Personal Training, Weight Management and Fitness Management courses both face-to-face from multiple campuses in Australia and the Pacific region and online for students all around the world. Since its inception, FIT College has achieved the lowest rating for risk and subsequently achieved the longest available period of five-year registration periods at each renewal audit.
As our EMPOWERED fitness partner, FIT College has given us six free Certificate III places and is offering the Certificate IV at half price, which is a contribution of $16,500. We thank Mark and the team at FIT College for their generosity.
Are you ready to be EMPOWERED and to empower your community?
Our Judging Panel
Mark Stitt
Managing Director FIT College
Mark has been involved in the fitness industry since 1987. As a personal trainer, centre manager and business owner Mark has interviewed and employed literally thousands of people for fitness roles and if anyone on our panel understands the qualities you need make it in the fitness industry, it’s Mark. Luckily for our EMPOWERED scholarship recipients, when developing the courses at FIT College, Mark made sure that these qualities were integrated into every unit of competency so that FIT College graduates understand what it takes to be a successful fitness professional.
Anna Greene
Prevention and Population Health Manager - Grampains Health
Originally from a rice farm near Deniliquin, Anna has spent the past 22 years working alongside her husband on their Merino farm in the Pyrenees as well as working off-farm in roles that support improved health and wellbeing outcomes for rural communities. With her own lived experience and further learned knowledge, Anna knows all too well the imbalances and challenges that exists for rural and remote communities to thrive. This has been the driving passion behind her work in community, social and health sectors; advocating for agricultural dependent communities to generate and manage solutions towards improved outcomes for farmers and their families.
Anna recently completed post graduate studies in Agricultural Health and Medicine at Deakin University and continues her role as Prevention and Population Health Manager across seven LGA’s from Hepburn to the Northern Grampians.
Arron Hutcheon
Managing Director Hutcheon & Pearce
As the leader of a multi-generational agricultural business, Arron has deep ties to rural and regional farming communities and takes every opportunity he can to support them. Teaming up with Active Farmers is no different and for Arron, the scholarships are the perfect way to ensure farming communities in the Hutcheon & Pearce footprint are fit, strong and well. Arron is keen to ensure our inaugural EMPOWERED Scholarships recipients not only have what it takes to be great fitness leaders but also great leaders in their communities, which will help ensure the Active Farmers network remains firmly in place to support rural and regional people.
Ginny Stevens
Founder and CEO Active Farmers
Having grown up on a farm in Tasmania, Ginny has always been passionate about agriculture, community and staying active. She established Active Farmers to help build resilient farming communities by promoting health and fitness, fostering a sense of community and belonging, and in turn tackle the high prevalence of mental illness in bush and farming communities. Ginny is looking for people who are motivated and share the same passion for promoting resilience within individuals and communities.
Let’s get moving.
Complete the form below and we'll contact you when future Empowered Scholarships Program announcements take place!