2014 promises to be a very interesting year for us here at the National Precision Growing Centre with a raft of new initiatives to assist the industry in training.
Priva training will be one of our major focusses this year, with our Priva endorsed trainer - Tony Bundock - compiling a busy schedule of both on and off campus events.
Our popular 'Introduction to Computerised Climate Management' courses will be running throughout the year at the Cranbourne Campus, and we will also be running courses for more specialised users of Priva products.
New for this year are the 'Maximise your Maximiser' and 'Intelligent use of Integro (Connext)' courses. Dates for these courses will be appearing in the next two weeks so keep an eye on the blog site for further details!
So that we can service the wider industry, we will also be delivering these courses interstate. Our plan is to develop a number of 'roadshows' that will enable us to deliver this training in Western Australia, South Australia, New South Wales and Queensland. Past experience has shown us that many growers are keen to enter in to this specialised training but the costs of flying staff around the country make it financially impossible for many to attend. By taking the training to the clients we are looking to provide a more cost effective way of providing this service to growers.
As part of our commitment as a Priva training centre, we are also working closely with Priva NL to develop the Priva accreditation system. The concept behind this project is that many of us use Priva computers as part of our daily routines, but there is no benchmark to determine the level of skill that individuals have in using Priva products. By having an acccreditation process, industry practitioners will be able to have their skills recognised against an endorsed set of competency standards that will not only highlight their ability, but act as part of an 'industry passport' when applying for future career positions.
On top of our Priva courses, we will also be looking to follow the 'roadshow' concept with a range of training inititiatives. These will include introductory courses for those growers who are new to the industry and want to start growing hydroponically. The courses will look at some of the basic elements of developing a Precision Growing approach to growing, and will highlight the potential benefits to growers who want to 'get out of the soil'.
Following on from the huge success of our Haifa Fertilizer seminar, we will also be developing training options with Haifa to take the seminar series on the road as well. This course is a real eye opener for any grower that wants to improve his or her ability in fertilizer management.
For new entrants to the industry, we are now taking enrolments for both our Certificate III and Certificate IV courses in Production Horticulture. Both of these courses have a high degree of focus on the commercial production of greenhouse vegetables, and students spend a large proportion of their time in practical applications to enable them to be 'job ready' at the end of the course.
We will be posting details of all these courses as they are finalised, but if you want any further information in the meantime please do not hesitate to contact Tony Bundock via e mail at tony.bundock@chisholm.edu.au
