Agriculture ITO

AGRICULTURE ITO – World class at developing people for our industries

About Agriculture ITO

Agriculture ITO is one of New Zealand's largest industry training organisations. We offer employees and employers industry-funded training and resources, and help more than 10,000 people every year to gain the knowledge and skills they need for a productive and rewarding career in agriculture – New Zealand's most successful and most important industry.

Agriculture ITO has a national network of Training Advisers and Coordinators whose job it is to help meet the training needs of agriculture businesses. They are supported by staff in Wellington, who coordinate the development of new and revised learning programmes.

We're all as passionate about education and training as farmers are about farming. With our partners, we're working to deliver a world-class training system that keeps New Zealand agriculture No.1 in the world.

Our role is to:

work with employers and others in our industry to identify, manage and promote training opportunities

work with schools to help students learn the basics of agriculture before they enter the industry

work with industry partners to develop useful and relevant qualifications that are nationally recognised and registered with the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA)

contract and work with accredited training providers who deliver courses on our behalf

monitor the quality of training and assessment, both on and off the job.

We are also involved in sponsorship of events and awards in the agriculture sector, such as the AgriAwards, Dairy Industry Awards and New Zealand Young Farmers, and help to create personal and leadership development opportunities for trainees through programmes like Bound to Succeed, Kickstart and Future Farmers.

Our vision and mission

Vision

World class at developing people for our industries

Mission

Deliver ‘can-do' people to grow productivity, profitability and sustainability within our industries:

Ensuring best practice for the future, today

Developing skills and knowledge of individuals for personal growth

Engaging actively with those who can make a real difference to deliver on enterprise, industry and Government strategy

Collaborating strongly with industries to influence Government policy and funding

Ensuring we consider the environmental sustainability at all times

About our training

Agriculture ITO training is developed with the industry, for the industry. Learning is practical, and focused on CAN DO – meaning our learners know how to do the job, and they can do it.

We offer nationally recognised and NZQA-registered qualifications in industry sectors ranging from dairy, sheep and cattle to rural servicing, wool harvesting and water industry services. Our trainees cover the full spectrum, from recent school leavers to those experienced in their industry to people making a new career move.

One of our biggest strengths is that we offer people the chance to learn while they're working and earning a regular wage. They also get help and support from their regional Agriculture ITO Training Adviser or Coordinator – a key to helping them stay focused on their goals, motivated to study and progressing in their careers.

Trainees gain their qualifications through a mix of practical and theory-based study:

practical training takes place on the job, with trainees learning the ropes from experienced farmers and employers

theory-based training happens off the job through accredited training providers either through day-release classes or distance learning. It's arranged by Agriculture ITO Training Advisers

resources for learners, tutors and farmer–trainers are developed by industry experts and provided by Agriculture ITO.

We also offer Modern Apprenticeships – a government-sponsored programme that provides support and mentoring for 16 to 21 year-olds working in our industry. It's all part of ensuring we attract, train and retain the high-calibre people our industry needs, for today and the future.

Our partners

Agriculture ITO has established a number of effective partnerships to extend the education and training culture across the agriculture and water industries.

Industry bodies/funders – Meat and Wool New Zealand, Dairy InSight, the New Zealand Pork Industry Board, the Poultry Industry Association of New Zealand and Federated Farmers provide a firm foundation for our nationally recognised training system.

Providers – polytechnics and private training establishments provide flexibility and enable us to deliver training in remote areas and on specialist topics.

Government agencies – the Tertiary Education Commission, the education agencies, Accident Compensation Corporation, Occupational Safety and Health, the Department of Labour, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, the Ministry of Social Development and Te Puni Kokiri all help to ensure that a skills training agenda is advanced on a range of fronts and government resources are used as effectively as possible.

Agriculture and Horticulture Human Capability Group – we are a leading member of this Group, which is currently developing strategies to ensure our industries have a high-quality, skilled workforce in the future.

Maori and Pacific groups – as a member of the Equal Employment Opportunities (EEO) Trust's EEO Employers Group, Agriculture ITO works closely with these groups to raise awareness of the benefits in taking up training in our industries.

Agriculture ITO
Fred Hardy
Business Development Manager
PO Box 10-383
The Terrace
Wellington
New Zealand
Phone: +64 4 801 9616
Fax: +64 4 801 9626
Email: fredh@agricultureito.ac.nz
Website: http://www.agricultureito.ac. nz