Industry Training for the Primary Industries

11 October 2012

Industry Training for the Primary Industries

Federated Farmers welcomes the new Primary Industry Training Organisation (Primary ITO), following the formal merger launch yesterday of the AgITO and Horticulture ITO. This follows July’s merger of the Seafood ITO and the NZITO (meat and dairy sectors).

“What we are seeing is the natural alignment of the primary industries training organisations ITO’s),” says Jeanette Maxwell, Federated Farmers spokesperson on education and skills.

“So far this year, we have seen four related ITO’s announce intentions to become just two. This not only reduces duplication but provides a more seamless offer to trainees.

“It very much takes a cue from the Ministry for Primary Industries super-ministry.

“Frankly, the skill set for seafood, meat and dairy are closely aligned as are the skills needed for being a pastoral farmer or horticulturalist. The merger of the AgITO and Horticulture ITO further brings in the equine industry, sports turf as well as water industry training.

“As water is central to everything we do, in town or on-farm, this creates a vertically integrated industry training organisation.

“It is also an opportunity I feel for the primary industries to get on the front foot showing how our trainees understand the environmental interface with commercial farming.

“We welcome better and more integrated training outcomes and it shows the sort of leadership New Zealand is renowned for.

“As employers, we look forward to working with the Primary ITO,” Mrs Maxwell concluded.

ends

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