A new two-year, nationally accredited citrus-specific Diploma of Production Horticulture to be offered by Sunraysia Institute of TAFE, will support the next generation of orchard managers to drive the industry forward.
The pilot citrus-specific diploma program will be rolled out by SuniTAFE, Mildura in February 2016, with a longer term goal of delivering the qualification nationally.
The Diploma of Production Horticulture Citrus qualification has been jointly developed by SuniTAFE, TAFE NSW- Riverina Institute, NSW Department of Primary Industry, local growers and Citrus Australia.
The two-year part time course will initially be delivered at the SuniTAFE farm, Cardross and will involve 18-20 days of hands-on classes, practical orchard sessions and seminars presented by industry experts, during each of the two years of study.
Citrus Australia market development manager, Andrew Harty, said the workload is designed to fit in around an employer’s requirements, and urged all employers to review their staff training needs, and encourage promising employees to enrol.
“The Australian citrus industry is entering an exciting growth phase, with massive new marketing opportunities to supply Asian export markets,” Mr Harty said.
“Free trade agreements, favourable currency exchange and huge demand for ‘clean & green’ Australian fruit are all helping to drive citrus expansion. But at the same time, we need to lift our game to ensure we are supplying only the best quality product as efficiently as possible, and to achieve that, our supply chain will need managers with greater knowledge, skills and technical expertise than ever before.
“If you are working in horticulture and have a passion to succeed, there is no better time to step up to the next level by enrolling for the Citrus Diploma.”
