Oamaru dairy processing company upskills staff with Primary ITO

More than twenty staff members have completed or are currently undertaking Primary ITO training

Milligans produce food products for brands including Eclipse Dairy (milk powders and butters), Eclipse Cheese (in block, slice and grated form), Eclipse Nutrition protein powders, plus Frosty Boy and Granny Faye’s. They also provide contract and toll manufacturing (third-party processing) for leading New Zealand food brands from their Oamaru facilities. Many products can be found on supermarket shelves across New Zealand, however a significant focus of the business is supplying products directly to local cafes and restaurants.

The family owned and operated business works to strict food safety and export regulations, so having qualified and competent staff is essential.

More than twenty staff members have completed or are currently undertaking Primary ITO training, including the New Zealand Apprenticeship in Dairy Processing and introductory micro-credentials (short, targeted pieces of learning).

Colin Craig, Food Operations Manager at Milligans, says in the context of the New Zealand primary sector, skilled staff are not just an asset – they are your strongest risk management tool.

“When working under the scrutiny of bodies like MPI (Ministry for Primary Industries), the difference between a "trained" employee and a "qualified" one is often the difference between a smooth audit and non-compliance,” Colin says. “It has been noted by several auditors how great it is to have qualified staff members onsite.”

Staff complete in-house training alongside the formal training through Primary ITO.

Colin says the Dairy Processing apprenticeship and related micro-credentials provide real, practical value across the industry, businesses, and staff.

Noah Stewart completed the Level 3 Certificate in Dairy Processing

“From an industry perspective, they help maintain consistent standards across the New Zealand dairy sector. Having a nationally recognised qualification ensures people working in processing environments understand food safety, quality systems, and compliance expectations, which protects New Zealand’s reputation in export markets.

“For our business, the biggest value is confidence and consistency on the floor. Staff who have completed structured training understand why processes exist, not just how to follow them. This leads to better decision-making, fewer mistakes, less downtime, and smoother audits. Investing in apprenticeships also improves retention, reducing the cost and disruption of staff turnover.

“For staff, the apprenticeship gives clear development pathways and formal recognition for the skills they are already building on the job. Being able to earn a qualification while continuing to work keeps people engaged, builds confidence, and supports progression into senior operator and leadership roles.”

Vinnie Smith Food Production Manager

Vinnie Smith completed the New Zealand Apprenticeship in Dairy Processing through Primary ITO in 2023. He has since stepped up into the role of Food Production Manager.

Vinnie learned new skills from the apprenticeship and strengthened existing ones.

“It also gave me new ways of looking at how we do things,” he says. “The training not only covers in depth what you do in your day-to-day tasks, it highlights the importance of why you do it. I think this helps learners to take real ownership of their responsibilities.”

He is keen to keep upskilling – in a sector and role that offers plenty of variety.

“We manufacture a vast range of products across five factories, all on one site. I can go from overseeing Frosty Boy soft serve production to assisting in a sauce production room in no time at all.”

Primary ITO Training Adviser Lauren Walker supports the Milligans team from enrolment to training completion, with regular contact and monitoring of learner progress.

“I enjoy working with Colin and the team to create tailored training plans to ensure their staff gain the right skills to meet the needs of their business. Colin is very good with his staff and always follows up to make sure bookwork is completed.

“It has also been great to see Milligans enrolling staff into the Food Processing Foundational Micro-credential as part of their induction. This covers the fundamentals of safe food practices and how a food processing plant operates, and it is a great stepping stone on to further training later on.”

Rodney Sharpe and Jamal Tasi completed the Food Processing Foundational Micro-credential.

Primary ITO has a range of training programmes available for people working in dairy processing. These include:

Food Processing Foundational Micro-credential
New Zealand Certificate in Dairy Processing
New Zealand Apprenticeship in Dairy Processing
New Zealand Certificate in Distribution
New Zealand Certificate in Primary Products Food Processing
New Zealand Certificate in Primary Products Food Processing – Product Quality Implementation
New Zealand Certificate in Workplace Health and Safety Practice / Coordination

For more information on Dairy Processing training click here or complete the form below to speak with one of our team.

Search Primary ITO

Oamaru dairy processing company upskills staff with Primary ITO

Tags