Updated farm training system

By ADAM GIFFORD

The Agriculture Industry Training Organisation has called on systems integrator gen-i to help it improve farm training.

Agriculture ITO communications manager, Susan Berry, says the gen-i training management system will help to keep in touch with training advisers, trainees, polytechnics and other groups the ITO works with.

"We used to be the farm cadet scheme - and they still use that term the further south you go," Ms Berry says.

"We have 45 programmes, 8000 trainees and 22 training advisers,"

Two thirds of trainees are in the dairy industry, with the rest in sheep, beef, deer and other sectors.

The training organisation has to coordinate and assess training done by farmers on the farm as well as ensure trainees receive relevant theory in polytechnic or private training providers' courses.

The problem is coordinating that training with farming activities which are dependent on the seasons and on weather conditions, and dealing with trainees moving from farm to farm and region to region.

The database it has is no longer up to the task.

Ms Berry says better training systems and a clear skills-development path are needed to entice young people into the industry.

"We are a non-profit organisation funded by the Government and industry to administer training.

"So, if we can do it more efficiently and effectively, it will make it easier to attract and retain people.'

gen-i software development manager, Dave Tinkler, says the company is building the training management system in the Jade software tool set developed in Christchurch.

Because Jade is object-oriented, elements developed for other projects can be used to build the application which is due to be delivered by April.

The system could be adapted to the needs of other ITOs and education providers.

Mr Tinkler says gen-i is therefore talking with the agriculture ITO about ownership of the intellectual property involved.

"We're building them a centralised Jade database, which will be accessible by everyone in head office and by all their people in the field.

"It will be used for planning courses, signing up trainees and keeping track of progress. There is also a lot of consolidation of reports so they get the money they're due from Skills New Zealand and other industry bodies."

Mr Tinkler says the data base will be available to every trainee adviser so they will know about every course, where it is and what new courses are being designed.

They will also be able to fine-tune requirements for students in their area.

"For example, they might have enough students to arrange an additional course at the local polytechnic when the hay-making season finishes and there is a gap in the timetable.

"It's important to set up courses so they can be run cost effectively," he says.