New course for horticulture industry
AWe’re thrilled to be supporting working professionals fulfil their passion for horticulture by equipping them with the skills they’ll need to operate at amore senior level.
nexcitingnewprogramme is available for people working in horticulture to advance their careers and take onmanagement roles. TheNewZealand Diploma in Horticulture Production is a Level 6 NZQA-accredited course available online and nationwide through Fruition Horticulture.
The fees-free two-year programme has been designed to develop the skills and knowledge of people employed in the industry so they can contribute at a senior technical or managerial level. Enrolments for the 2021 intake are being taken now.
Fruition Horticulture managing director Sandy Scarrow says the horticulture industry’s growthmeans businesses require morepeople in management and technical roles to lead their teams and support growers tobecomemore successful in their orchards and vineyards.
“This programme is aimed at peoplewhoalready have several years of industry experience and whoare highly motivated to advance their careers and take advantage of management opportunities as they arise.
“We’re thrilled to be supporting working professionals fulfil their passion for horticulture by equipping themwith the skills they’ll need to operate at amore senior level.”
Horticulture isNewZealand’s fourth largest export industry and is worth $7 billion to the economy. About60per cent ofNewZealand’s total horticultural production is exported tomore than 124 countries. Kiwifruit alone accounts for close to $2 billion in export earnings.
Participants in Fruition Horticulture’s Level 6 programme will focus on the specialist requirements for ‘process
improvement’ for meeting domestic and international market requirements. The industry’sdemand for innovative solutionsmeansthe course will also develop students’ ability to assess the merit of products
or technologies so they can be introduced to ahorticultural workplace.
The course will enable graduates tomakeinformed strategic business decisions and the industry will benefit by having experienced technical specialists with the skills to optimise workplace efficiency and lift the competitive edge of their organisations.
Students are expected to remain employed during the university-level programme, with course content delivered online to fit around their work.
Fees will be covered under the Targeted Training and Apprenticeship Fund(TTAF) as horticulture is an industry where demandfrom employers is expected to grow duringNewZealand’s recovery from the impacts of Covid19. This funding provides an avenue for students wanting to upgrade their tertiary qualifications or transfer from other industries.
Fruition Horticulture is based in the Bay of Plenty and also operates offices in Hawke’s Bay and Nelson/ Marlborough. It provides specialist consultancy, technical, research and training services to the horticultural industry.
In Katikati Sandy works alongside Hilary Johnson, head of horticulture at Katikati College and supports the Katikati Innovative Horticulture Project which aims to build a horticulture centre of excellence.
“Wedo already have teaching venues in Tauranga thatwewould use so as not to add time and cost for a tutor to travel to Katikati to deliver the programme.
“There is no reason however that there couldn’t be a cluster of learners based from the Innovative Horticulture Centrewhocould engage in the programme via a distance delivery mode,” Sandy says.
Thisnewprogramme adds to the suite of educational opportunities provided by Fruitions qualified and experienced teachers. It offers the Lincoln University Diploma in Horticulture (Level 5) to Bay of Plenty and Nelson studentswhogain their qualification while being able to stay in their place of work. It partners with the Primary ITO to deliver courses for the Horticultural Apprenticeship programme and provides tuition for theNewZealand Certificate in Horticulture and Horticultural Production (Levels 3 to 4) to horticultural apprentices nationally.
Fruition also supports youth aged 16-19whoaren’t engaged in education or employment as part of its Level 2HeTu¯ranga aMo¯ te Mahi programme. With a focus on providing pastoral care and valuable work skills, morethan90per cent of students go on to further study or are offered employment in horticulture.
Funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Fruition also delivers the Vakameasina programme to seasonal workers from Pacific countries during their stay in NewZealand. They learn literacy and numeracy skills as well as education about health, safety, budgeting and theNewZealand Road Code.
Phone (07) 928 5350 or visitwww. fruition.ac.nz to learnmoreabout Fruition’s Level 6 programme.