Agricademy, a national provider of online training for dairy farming and wool, has signed two new farming industry experts as partners, expanding on-farm training opportunities to Waikato and Southland.
Training Centric Ltd, founded and led by Tyree Connor, is championing the expansion of Agricademy in Waikato, with Ashlea Kowalski as head trainer.
“I’m passionate about vocational education and providing the right training at the right time,” said Connor, most recently general manager training at QCONZ, “which is why I’m excited to partner with Agricademy.”
A past lead tutor at Dairy Training Ltd and QCONZ, Kowalski runs her contract milking business in Waipa, and is looking forward to giving new entrants a head start in dairy through Agricademy’s blended online and on farm training. The team will also be working with employers to encourage uptake of the low cost, skills focused Agricademy model to improve productivity.
In Southland, AgriTeachMe Ltd, founded by dairy farming family Hannes and Lyzanne du Plessis, has also launched operations.
Immigrants from South Africa 20 years ago, the couple have share-milked and contract-milked various size herds in Waikato and Southland and employed many immigrant and Kiwi staff – supporting and educating them and making sure they got the same opportunities as they had.
At present they are contract milking in Woodlands.
Hannes has a degree in Horticulture and Agricultural Economics and has been a Primary ITO verifier for 12 years. Lyzanne worked at Fonterra as a service specialist and for Primary ITO as a training adviser.
“We attribute our success in the dairy industry to on-the-job training, self-study and knowledgeable employers who mentored us along the way,” said Lyzanne, “so we are excited to have found a vehicle that combines both our passion for the dairy industry and our love for educating others and setting them up for success.”
Agricademy founder Alister Shennan said the two new partners are of the highest calibre and “we’re honoured to have their expertise and experience as part of our team”.
“Both partners have experienced traditional training approaches in dairy and instead gravitated to Agricademy’s innovative new model, which I’m confident will see trainees – and dairy farms – in these regions flourish.”
Disclaimer: Dean Williamson, CEO of AgriHQ, is an Agricademy shareholder.
