A new ‘hands on’ initiative, which brings the classroom into the orchard, is helping combat the labour shortage in the horticulture industry.

EIT, Work and Income and local iwi have teamed up with John Bostock, owner of JM Bostock Ltd, to help get people off the unemployment benefit and into permanent employment.

We have worked together to establish an EIT level three sustainable fruit production course.

It has both theory and practical modules. The theory mirrors the orchard cycle to enhance the student’s learning.

Mr Bostock who provides an orchard for the training course says the programme is a high quality-training scheme that ticks the right boxes for growers with real job prospects at the end for graduates.

Fourteen students completed in November 2013, and all gained jobs.

While teaching the theory, our tutor was able to take students from the classroom at Bostock’s into the orchard to bring the theory to life.

The next course starts in March – call us on 0800 CALL EIT.