Meatworkers looking for work during the off-season will have the opportunity to work at Southland dairy farms through a free training programme starting next month.
Training organisation Tectra, Southland’s Meat Workers’ Union, and Southern Work and Income have developed a short course to help meatworkers get jobs on dairy farms during the off-season. The meat season will start to wind down at the end of this month.
It is also an opportunity for meatworkers to work towards a National Certificate in Agriculture (Introductory Skills) Level 2.
Tectra national operations manager Noel Handley said the training would help fill a gap for meatworkers and dairy farmers.
The course would include a week of theory and a week doing on-farm work experience, he said.
Learning topics include health and safety, how to operate tractors and quad bikes, animal handling and welfare, water-supply connection and repair and pasture management.
Meatworkers who were successful in gaining placements would be assessed by Tectra after four months on farm to complete the qualification, he said.
This was the first course to help meatworkers gain skills in dairying, and Tectra was «quite excited» by the prospects, Mr Handley said. Meat Workers’ Union general secretary Gary Davis said training meatworkers to work on dairy farms during the off- season seemed like a «natural fit».
«I think it will be a win-win for everyone. We’d like people to earn income here and spend it in the local community.»
Each year about 2000 Southland meatworkers were laid off for four to six months, starting at the end of May, and up to 150 people in the South Island headed overseas for work, he said.
Providing about four months employment would encourage meatworkers to return to the works.
«It’s increasingly hard to keep our people in the industry. The season’s getting shorter and shorter.»
This year, it was expected that about 50 people would be trained.
Southern Work and Income regional commissioner for social development John Allen said he was proud to be a part of delivering the free dairy-industry training.
«[It] will provide sustainable employment opportunities year round, benefiting off-season meat workers and their families, as well as dairy farmers who require workers at this time of the year,» he said.
Two training sessions would be held on June 10 and 24 in Invercargill.
Source: Stuff