The mixed quality of lower-level training for agriculture and horticulture means changes are needed to the industry, an industry training leader maintains.
New Zealand Horticulture Industry Training Organisation (ITO) chief executive Mike Finlayson, this week said the industry employed 50,000 staff, but there were 57 secondary school, 17 polytechnic and 45 private training providers delivering horticulture unit standards.
About 31% of the industry workforce was trained to level 4 or higher.
There needed to be rationalisation at a regional level and Mr Finlayson suggested linking training providers with schools to reduce duplication at that lower level.
Agriculture ITO chief executive Kevin Bryant agreed, saying his concern was the lack of consistency between providers.
The two organisations, along with forestry ITO and horticulture and agriculture teachers, were creating a landskills teaching package for secondary schools which would give basic training skills and exposure-to-the-industry access to all training units required by the sectors, but without the need to have equipment and machinery, which could create health and safety compliance issues.
Mr Bryant said there was a view that pupils leaving school could go straight on to a farm and operate basic machinery, when that was not always true.
The landskills teaching package would provide a basic grounding and employers would know the level of their employees' skills, but more importantly it would alert pupils to potential careers in land-based industries.
It also supported teachers.
Mr Finlayson said he was concerned Lincoln and Massey universities no longer offered diplomas in horticulture management, a course which used to be the industry flagship.
Standard horticulture degrees were now applied science or science degrees.
Lincoln University announced last week that over a quarter of the 725 degrees, diplomas and certificates awarded at the 2008 graduation ceremony, were in agriculture viticulture, wine science, food science, horticulture, farm management, forestry and organic husbandry.
Vice-chancellor Roger Field said it was good news for the economy, and the graduate list showed the diversity of careers now available in the primary sector.
‘‘It clearly reflects the breadth of employment opportunities.''