Smart Start is a practical course that happens on farm in an active learning environment. It provides basic skills on livestock handling, preparation for calving, milking and mating. It also has a strong focus on animal welfare while ensuring you stay safe in the workplace.

With support and supervision you'll learn to complete a range of dairy farming production tasks, safely and efficiently.

An apprentice will work alongside their employer to grow their skills, and will ‘earn while they learn’, attend local learning events and gain NZQA-recognised qualifications.

As an apprentice you'll receive personal mentoring and extra support from your Primary ITO Training Adviser. They will meet with you and your employer regularly throughout the year to help you set goals and review your progress.

Your local Primary ITO Training Adviser can talk you through the available apprenticeship options. An apprenticeship can take anywhere between 2 to 3.5 years to complete.

You'll learn how to safely milk animals and maintain strict cleanliness of the equipment and machinery to ensure quality milk. You'll also learn to effectively manage dairy effluent.

This programme provides a solid grounding in understanding how to milk dairy stock and identifying and treating problems in livestock.

You'll understand what's required to maintain cleanliness and hygiene to ensure quality milk output. You'll learn about cleaning processes, plant and equipment maintenance and undertake risk analysis while developing solutions.

This course covers all of the essentials and more. It is the minimum requirement for high risk workplaces, and it meets the Department of Labour First Aid for Workplaces Standard.