New National Manager brings grass roots experience
15 October 2024
Living on the rugged West Coast of the South Island hasn’t limited Primary ITO’s Shannon Gordon from taking on a national manager role well away from big city life.
Based in Greymouth, Shannon recently stepped into the role of National Manager for the Agriculture and Horticulture team at Primary ITO. She has worked in the organisation for over 10 years, starting out as a Training Adviser in March 2014, visiting learners on dairy farms on the West Coast.
Since day one, Shannon has got a buzz from supporting people to learn and grow.
After growing up in Timaru, Shannon studied teaching at Otago University. She worked as a primary school teacher while raising three children with husband Mark. She made the move into adult education with a role at Aoraki Polytechnic (now known Ara), in Timaru, sparking her passion for adult learning.
It was after the family moved to Greymouth for a lifestyle change that Shannon spotted an advertisement for a Primary ITO training adviser.
“After landing the role I was lucky to have a local farmer take me under his wing and act as my mentor. It was a safe space to ask questions and gain an understanding of how a dairy farm works.”
Shannon on her first day as a Primary ITO Training Adviser
She spent five years as a training adviser, visiting farms from Karamea to Fox Glacier, working with farmers to sign staff into training programmes, monitor progress, and support learners to tick off their assessments and achieve their qualifications.
A short stint as a Regional Delivery Manager covering the upper South Island in 2020 gave Shannon an introduction to people leadership. This was soon followed by an opportunity to step into the role of Delivery Manager for the entire South Island.
Just as Shannon took on the role in 2021 the country went into Covid lockdown, providing the extra challenge of connecting and building relationships with a new team when meeting face-to-face wasn’t an option.
Shannon on a farm visit during her time as a Training Adviser
Being able to connect and collaborate via Microsoft Teams and other cloud-based systems, along with more flexible working arrangements since Covid, has been a game-changer.
“Covid gave me the opportunity to prove that I could do this role from a distance,” she says.
“I’d managed to make it work being based on the West Coast with my team in Christchurch. I wasn’t prepared to move to the big city and I did wonder if that would stop me from taking that next step up career-wise.
“It’s been a real blessing being able to be based on the West Coast. Sure, it’s a bit of a trek to get to Wellington when there’s a need for face-to-face meetings … a drive to Hokitika, flight to Christchurch and then Wellington. Some flights don’t go to plan but most of the time it works out.”
Shannon started her new National Manager role at Primary ITO in July. This role involves working to identify key issues that may impact the primary sector, and the demand for training, now and in the future.
“I’ve got really capable people reporting to me, so it’s more about trying to remove barriers for them so they can do their jobs.
“When I’m feeding into management conversations, it’s from ‘grass-roots’ knowledge and experience … I know what the impact will be on the learner and employer. As I’ve moved through my career at Primary ITO, it’s been more about being able to influence in other ways, sitting at the management table and contributing towards strategic decision making.
Shannon credits the support of her managers for enabling her career progression.
“I’ve been supported the whole time at Primary ITO. I was supported to take part in a succession programme as part of moving into the national role. I’ve been guided beyond what I thought my limits were, in a safe way … it’s been gold.”
When Shannon logs off her computer for the day, you’ll find her outside in her vege garden in Greymouth (weather permitting), with her three dogs, breathing in the salty sea air of the coast.
“I love the old-fashioned community feel, being surrounded by the rugged beauty, the calm pace of life and the dramatic weather. I am blessed that technology and new ways of working allow me to have a national manager role without living in a big city!”
If you'd like to talk to you local Training Adviser, simply fill in the form below.