News

1 October 2026

Amelia Marsden has been racking up the accolades since completing her New Zealand Apprenticeship in Horticulture (Fruit Production) through Primary ITO in 2022.

16 September 2026

Senior ag students at Dannevirke High School learned the basics of safe chainsaw operation in a short course delivered by Primary ITO Trades Academy recently.

10 September 2026

Dannevirke High School students are gaining hands-on farming skills and valuable real-world experience through Primary ITO Trades Academy, leading to employment and cadetship opportunities.

28 August 2026

Congratulations to Ben Carter and Gary Thomas, joint winners of the 2026 Stockperson of the Year Award, announced at the NZ Pork conference in Christchurch recently.

26 August 2026

Recent detections of avian influenza (H5 bird flu) in New Zealand have shone a spotlight on the importance of biosecurity and poultry health across the country.

19 August 2026

Congratulations to Jacob Sced from Longridge Country Estate in Paeroa, who recently completed his New Zealand Apprenticeship in Landscape Construction (Level 4).

10 August 2026

Taranaki dairy farmer Brandon Hitchcock was shocked to win the LIC Apprentice of the Year title in June, after completing training as an Artificial Breeding (AB) Technician through LIC and Primary ITO.

27 July 2026

Primary ITO is introducing short modular training for the horticulture industry, to support new staff to gain introductory knowledge and existing staff to grow their skills.

8 July 2026

An Interim Establishment Board has been appointed to guide the organisation as it establishes an industry-owned Private Training Establishment (PTE).

2 July 2026

Growing healthy plants for ecological restoration and landscaping projects is all in a day’s work for Signature Plants Ltd. The Auckland-based business are firm believers in the power of education and upskilling staff with training through Primary ITO.