New Zealand’s largest industry training organisation will now offer business management qualifications online to help develop future leaders across all primary industries.

The Primary Industry Training Organisation (Primary ITO) has announced five new NZQA qualifications which can be completed entirely online, including several national certificates and national diplomas in business plus a Bachelor of Applied Management.

Primary ITO is partnering with the Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology (CPIT) to provide the e-learning platform, giving greater study options to those who are working in New Zealand’s agriculture, horticulture, food processing, seafood, equine and sports turf industries.

Primary ITO Product Manager, Sue Masson, says Primary ITO has been keen to provide online qualifications for quite some time, and more programmes will be available in the next 12 months. “Strategically we’re trying to expand the range of options that are available for our clients so we can better meet their different learning needs,” Sue says. “We are investigating more short courses, more online learning and are also looking to re-launch some of our core training programmes as we move towards the revised New Zealand Certificate Qualifications framework.”

CPIT’s online delivery platform is innovative, easy to use, and has a proven track record, Sue says. “We’re excited to partner with them and leverage our joint educational IP to help Primary ITO clients embrace the flexibility that e-learning offers.”

The five new business management qualifications will teach key skills that are transferrable across all primary industry sectors within New Zealand and OECD countries. “They’re ideal for someone who is a 2IC manager, supervisor, team leader, lead hand, PA, EA or already working in some type of leadership or office management position,” she explains. “It gives people who are aspiring to become a leader the opportunity to learn about issues such as performance management, conflict management, team building and other core business skills. “Alternatively, for people who possess those skills already, these qualifications are a way to formally recognise their workplace expertise on their CV.”

The new qualifications complement Primary ITO’s current workplace study options, and will appeal to those who do not have time to attend traditional classes. Dependent on the programme of learning, students will have between 6 and 24 months to complete their qualification so they can go as quickly or as slowly as they wish, with an online tutor closely monitoring them to ensure they are progressing.

Online learning is often easier to fit around work schedules and personal lives, and expectations are clearly set out at the beginning of each course to help set people up for success.

Sue says the new Primary ITO courses will be a cost-effective way of undertaking such business qualifications in New Zealand. “It’s a great way to formalise your workplace experience and benchmark your competency against a national standards and national qualifications “We need to foster business and leadership skills within our primary sectors to help New Zealand further compete on the global stage. We know times are tough at the moment but now is the time to invest in training so we can build a better economy for the future.”

Enrolments are now open at www.primaryito.ac.nz. Prior NCEA level 3 educational experience is recommended. Courses will begin between November and February 2016 and beyond.

The qualifications available online are:
• National Certificate in Business (First Line Management) Level 4
• National Diploma in Business Level 5
• National Diploma in Business with strand in Health and Safety Level 5
• National Diploma in Business Administration Level 5
• Bachelor of Applied Management

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