Horticulture cadetship to launch in Pukekohe

4 September 2024

Primary ITO is launching a new Horticulture Cadetship Programme that will free up growers to spend more time on their businesses, while growing the skills and knowledge of their staff.

Horticulture Cadetship

The pilot will kick off in the major growing region of Pukekohe in late 2024/early 2025, with an initial group of learners from local businesses. The learners will enrol in a Primary ITO horticulture apprenticeship, specialising in fruit or vegetable growing (indoor or outdoor), nursery production, or post-harvest, depending on the business they are employed in.

A dedicated cadetship support person from Primary ITO will work alongside employers to oversee training requirements and progress, from sign-up through to completion of the training. They will also provide weekly one-on-one wraparound support and guidance to the learners.

Hamish Gordon, Primary ITO’s Sector Manager for Horticulture Production, says the cadetship programme was developed to address key industry concerns.

“Growers have told us that training staff can be time and resource intensive. We’ve listened and designed the cadetship with a Primary ITO support person playing an integral role in managing the day-to-day training requirements for the employer, enabling them to focus more on their business.”

Learners will also benefit from the collegial support of others training at the same time, attending study sessions and site visits together, with the opportunity to learn about other types of production.

The cadetship includes fruit production“We are keen to hear from growing operations in Pukekohe who would like to jump on board with this cadetship programme,” Hamish says.

Once established, it is envisioned the cadetship programme will provide an avenue for high school students to enter the industry, take up apprenticeship training, and progress on to higher education if they choose to.

“We see the cadetship as eventually helping to provide a pipeline of new blood into the industry, an incentive for new entrants to get involved in and get excited about,” says Hamish.

“It’s also a way to foster more collaboration and connection across the industry.”

The pilot is expected to run for 12 months, before the programme is rolled out to growers in other regions.

For more information, contact Hamish Gordon at [email protected]

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