About us
Primary ITO aims to help New Zealand’s primary sector flourish by growing people’s skills. We lead work-based education and training across the many industries in the primary sector.
We firmly believe that on-the-job training is the future of learning
That can be supported by online and in-person learning where those are the best options. People earn while they learn, and businesses get value from their staff from day one.
Better skills enable people to be more productive and lead more fulfilling and rewarding work lives.
We support people throughout the country
In 2023, we had around 14,000 learners at around 4500 different workplaces around the country. At Primary ITO, we pride ourselves on being up driveways, at the end of dirt roads, on the factory floor, online or in the classroom. Whatever it takes to support our learners.
Primary industries are not just in the cities. They are up and down the length of the country. This map shows how many learners are based in each of New Zealand’s 74 local council areas, from a small but important number in the Chatham Islands, through to over 1000 in Auckland.
We offer training throughout the primary sector
We have a government mandate under the Industry Training and Apprenticeships Act 1992 to arrange work-based training for a wide range of sectors.
We also design the programmes that enable people to gain skills and qualifications in their chosen field.
Within each sector there are many other highly specialised fields, like kiwifruit, wine growing and hops, to milk quality, shearing, breeding horses and many more.
We support learners from start to finish
We support learners all the way from introductory programmes and our schools-based Trades Academy, through to apprenticeships and management diplomas.
We design training and assessment for the workplace, so employees can learn on the job while gaining real-world industry experience.
Primary ITO also hosts a jobs board, with a number of job vacancies across the primary industries. If you're an employer looking for staff, or you're searching for your next opportunity, check out the new Primary ITO Jobs Board here.
Our team of experts do several things
- They help businesses and their staff choose the right programme to equip learners with the right skills, knowledge and experience.
- They support learners and external training providers as learners complete their qualifications.
- They help assess learners and ensure they complete all the required training.
Advisory bodies
Primary ITO relies on a range of industry and community experts to guide our work.
Industry Partnership Groups (IPGs)
The IPGs are the voice of the primary industry. They are grassroots participants committed to growing their sector and organisations. IPGs directly inform training requirements in their areas of expertise. This ensures we can deliver the most relevant and appropriate training programmes.
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