The Government announced the investment to fund earthquake strengthening and deferred maintenance on the campus and education and training for at least the next two years.
Hipkins says polytechnic reforms will put the agriculture sector in charge of the skills and courses the sector wants through the creation of new Workforce Development Councils.
“Industry will have influence over the funding the Government pays to providers and will set the training standards they have identified.”
The Southland Institute of Technology (SIT) this year began delivering training at Telford and Hipkins says the investment will fund at least the next two years but should enable it to stay open beyond 2021.
“This is an investment not just in the local economies but in the future of the country.
“It is the first step in a complete revamp of agricultural education.”
SIT said it is fantastic news and the certainty will let it plan for next year.
Telford has had three education providers in nine years, with Lincoln University offloading the campus to Taratahi Agricultural Training Centre in 2017 then SIT picking up the role in February after Taratahi went into liquidation in December.
The disruptive and late start to the year means a smaller than usual roll of 87 effective full-time students (efts) on the campus this year but SIT proposes increasing that to more than 220 students next year and 250 in 2021, a mix of students on campus and distance teaching.
Hipkins says SIT is expanding the curriculum offered at Telford.
“As well as core farming skills in agriculture, apiculture and wool technology this will create opportunities within the forestry, engineering and construction industries, which are vital to our ongoing economic success and productivity,” he said.
Telford Farm Board chairman Jono Bavin says the investment is positive after several challenging years and will hopefully arrest the steady decline in people doing sub-degree training.
“The announcement is positive news for Telford but also agricultural training nationwide.
“We need qualified, skilled staff coming onto our farms,” he says.
Meanwhile, the Wairarapa community is close to preparing a proposal for the Government to unify and expand primary sector training in the region, which could involve using the Taratahi campus.
Federated Farmers Wairarapa president William Beetham says the plan is to create a region-wide structure to deliver a broad range of vocational training.
“While it has been frustrating we have had to wait to make sure the liquidators have completed their process and we need to understand the Government’s approach to restructuring the whole polytechnic sector,” he says.
The proposal has the backing of Wairarapa interest groups and training providers and needs to fit the Government’s reforms, which involves merging the country’s 16 polytechnics into one centralised organisation.
Hipkins says the reforms, which will happen gradually over four years, are designed to unify the confusing on-the-job and off-the-job training systems.
“It puts people off and is unsustainable for many education providers.”
It will also accurately reflect the cost of training, recognising, for example, the more labour-intensive training needed for courses such as shearing.
But the Meat Industry Association is not convinced, seeking assurance the reforms will allow employers to continue delivering on-the-job training.
Chief executive Tim Ritchie says the primary industry training organisations provide an effective training structure.
“While we recognise more needs to be done to improve access to training opportunities, the current vocational training model, where the Primary ITO organises and facilitates but employers undertake training on-site, works well for the meat processing industry,
“Delivery of on-the-job training is by the employer and not external providers. We seek assurance from the Government that won’t change.”
The country’s largest manufacturing industry, it employs about 25,000 people and last year 5300 people did Qualifications Authority accredited training led, delivered and assessed by employers.
Education options vital
Meaghan Reesby
On-farm training courses have an important role to play in agriculture’s future, Feilding High School student Meaghan Reesby says.
The year 13 pupil plans study agri-commerce at Massey University next year but said not everyone interested in agriculture wants to go to university.
Some people prefer a more hands-on approach, whether that is through a cadetship or beginning a job and building their knowledge through courses offered by workplace training providers such as Primary ITO.
She said there should always be an opportunity to do practical training because trained staff have a better understanding of how their workplaces, such as farms, function, which is good for employers and employees.
Feilding High School pupils can build their practical farming experience while at school by taking courses offered through Gateway, a programme for young people in their last year of school that allows them to complete training made up of theory and practical unit standards. The theory is backed up by real life work experience.
Reesby said the role that form of training plays in increasing the skills of people in agriculture should not be overlooked and any future changes in how training course are delivered needs to remember that.
The daughter of Himatangi dairy farmers, Meaghan’s brother works on the family farm, complementing what he learns at work with practical courses, while her sister also is also full time on the farm, fitting her Massey course work around that.
