Telford

Telford is partnering with DairyNZ to offer free entry-level training for career changers whose employment may have been impacted by Covid-19 and are serious about pursuing new opportunities in the farming sector.

The GoDairy initiative is planned as a 3-week programme, introducing people to the dairy industry and allowing them to experience some of it’s rewards: working in a team, spending time outdoors, and working with animals. This preparatory programme is aimed at training people new to the dairy industry, to give them skills and confidence as they enter into their first dairying job.

The programme consists of:
Week 1: Building an understanding of working and living on a New Zealand dairy farm (online)
Week 2: Working with cows and farm infrastructure (practical on-farm, full-time)
Week 3: Farm vehicle safety (practical on-farm, full-time)
Telford Programme Manager Debbie Rankin said the week 1 online component can be completed at Telford while students do the practical weeks 2 and 3. There is plenty of spare time each day before and after the practical workshops to incorporate it, while living on campus.

She said Telford has excellent presenters for the training programme, with accommodation and food provided at no cost to the participants. Telford’s purpose-built facilities provide the ideal place to learn skills for farming – with experienced tutors and established programmes, they supply a recognised level of expertise to their farm training.

“It's a fantastic opportunity for people considering working in the dairy sector”.

On completion of the training, Farm Ready Training participants will be eligible to receive $900 of PPE gear with proof of employment (a signed contract). This training is available to permanent residents or citizens of New Zealand, and people on work visas.

Upcoming courses are:

• 24 August to 04 September
• 21 September to 02 October

People interested can register at the following link: https://study.sit.ac.nz/GoDairy-Training