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New flexible training option for vineyard operators

17 March 2025

Primary ITO has launched a new entry-level training programme for vineyard operators and workers that can be tailored to suit business needs.

The Limited Credit Programme (LCP) in Vineyard Operations Level 3 is ideal for people new to the industry or those wanting to test the waters of work-based learning in a vineyard environment.  The short course includes one compulsory module (safe work practices), and a selection of topics (unit standards) that cover seasonal tasks, infrastructure, machinery, agrichemicals, pest and disease, and industry knowledge. It takes five months to complete.

Primary ITO Sector Manager for Viticulture, Jimmy Crockett, says the new training programme is the culmination of many discussions with employers and industry leaders. 

“Industry feedback identified the need for a shorter programme that can be easily done by people who are learning a new job at the same time.  

“It focuses on the day-to-day tasks of vineyard operations, recognising that this can look very different depending on the size or nature of the business …  which could be a contractor or small grower, right through to a large corporate.  

“Businesses can also use this programme to help with their induction process … it is fully flexible to meet their needs.” 

Premium wine company Delegat Ltd has been involved in the development of the new training programme. They are now implementing it in their vineyards in Nelson, Marlborough and Hawke’s Bay. 

A grape harvesting machine is driven down a vineyard

The new training programme can be used as a stepping stone onto the longer and more comprehensive New Zealand Certificate and New Zealand Apprenticeship training.

Pete Corbett, operations learning and development advisor at Delegat Ltd, says the advantages of this training were obvious from the get-go. 

“All of the learning is immediately applicable to the workplace and is directly relatable to the work they are doing,” Pete says. “It aligns almost perfectly with an internal framework we are developing for vineyard operators. This means the work they do internally can now be recognised externally on the NZQA framework.  

“We also believe the new programme will more reliably inform employers about what people can actually do, as opposed to what training they have received. The focus is essentially shifting from the inputs to the outputs, which is what quality workplace training should be all about.   

“Primary ITO has shown a real willingness to listen to industry and take proactive steps to develop this new programme. In the fullness of time, I’d like to see all new employees in viticulture sign up. It provides a really good grounding for a future in vineyard operations and might be an incentive to do more advanced qualifications and training.”

The new training programme can be used as a stepping stone onto the longer and more comprehensive New Zealand Certificate and New Zealand Apprenticeship training programmes for viticulture, which cover more technical aspects including soil and plant science. 

“There’s an opportunity for people to try out this new entry-level programme to get a feel for it, and then move onto further training if they choose to,” Jimmy says. 

The programme is completed in the workplace, with learners achieving a Primary ITO Certificate upon completion. Individual unit standards will be added to the learner’s Record of Achievement with the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA). 

Find out more about this programme on our website here.

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