Several students who completed the first intake of an Agricultural Redeployment Course based at Southern Institute of Technology’s Telford rural campus have gone on to get jobs, programme manager Debbie Rankin says.

Telford designed the free, six-week courses with contractors and representatives of the HW Richardson Group for people whose jobs had been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Ms Rankin said the first intake graduated on August 14. More than 140 people had now enrolled and several were now working but she did not have the full job data.

“[We] are still getting responses from this group. I hope we can get you some data in three to four weeks' time when more intakes have completed placements,” she said.

Staff shortages have been predicted in primary industries and many of the participants signed up after attending SIT expos in Te Anau and Invercargill.

Two graduates are Robin Peters and Matthew Cudby, who are now working for Te Anau contractor Steve James.

Mr Peters has come full circle with agriculture, having started out in farming as a young man before working in IT, education, health sector and more recently, tourism. 

He’d worked for nearly 12 years with the same company in Te Anau before attending Te Anau’s Ag Redeployment Expo in June and reconnected with people he’d known in farming.  

Signing up seemed the logical thing to do, he said.  

“I had had some experience with what was going on with my farming background and contractors were looking for jobs (to be filled), so it was a good match in my mind and the course would allow me to update and increase my knowledge,” he said.

Mr Peters received a job offer prior to going to Telford but wanted to do the course and update his skills so he would not be a complete novice on his first day.

“There was a considerable difference in size and how things worked compared to what I was working on when I left farming,” he said.

Mr Peters now has a job for the next six to seven months and intends to make the most of it. He hopes seasonal work in the rural contracting sector will see him through the next few years.

 “I would like to say SIT/Telford, HWR, the contractors, the instructors and the firms that loaned the plant for us to train on, deserve the utmost thanks. It was a great course to be on,” he said.

Ms Rankin said the sixth intake begins on Monday. The last intake would begin on September 7. 

Getting everyone through had been a “tricky thing’’ because many of the tutors were contractors and were now preparing for the coming season, she said.

“Some of the earlier intakes struggled to get work because the contractors had not started yet, but the closer we have got to the season, some more have found jobs, which is fantastic. Some have come on [to the course] with job offers,’’ Ms Rankin said.

Students learn about health and safety, obtain driving qualifications and receive two weeks’ work experience.

Ms Rankin said the New Zealand Qualification Authority-approved course will be offered again next year.

Telford also runs taster camps and a three week Go Dairy course, which have also attracted people interested in exploring agricultural careers.