Speaking at the organisation's annual general meeting in Timaru on October 16, Dr Mackle said there was ''a lot of stuff going on with the work environment and attracting people''.
''There will be more scrutiny of it.''
A farmer in the audience said finding and retaining staff was the biggest issue.
Strategy and Investment Leader for People and Business Mark Paine said the issue was ''very complex, with lots of players in it''.
''We want to make sure our best employers are leading the pack.''
High school pupils were being encouraged to think about dairying as a career from year 10.
More than 160 high schools had career programmes that included dairying, Dr Mackle said.
''There are clear progression pathways being shown, and competency standards at each stage.''
Enrolments in the National Diploma of Agribusiness Management had increased 26% after an initiative by DairyNZ, Primary ITO, Dairy Training Ltd and Wintec.
He acknowledged farmers' support, and said more focus would go into enrolments in this region after initial
concentration on the North Island.
Board member Barbara Kuriger said a ''huge amount of progress'' had been made in collaborative industry training in the past few years.
''We're putting more work into liaising with schools. Sticking together is going to get us there.''
Chairman John Luxton said the dairy industry had grown so much in the past two decades that the education system had fallen behind.
''We're starting to make progress.''
Director Alister Body said South Canterbury institutions were ''all working together to benefit us all, instead of the competitive environment they used to work in''.
One farmer said the biggest problem was the public perception of dairying.
''It's acute around this area. We haven't had a history of it.''
Mr Luxton said Timaru would be ''a hollowed-out town without dairying''.
''It's a classic debate between productivity and the environment. We are improving. Productivity is increasing, as we know more and are better able to protect the environment.
''We can all help the perception. We can ask people on to our farms - show them what we do.''
Science was proving dairying was not degrading the environment, Mr Luxton said.
Sustainability strategy and investment leader Rick Pridmore said in Rotorua and the Horizons region, the dairy industry had united to overturn a lot of resource management decisions.
''Don't hunt alone, hunt in packs and be informed. DairyNZ and Federated Farmers will train you in what you need to know.
''You've got to separate people who squawk from people who get results,'' Dr Pridmore said.
BY SALLY BROOKER