Agriacademy is changing the game when it comes to training in the agriculture sector - students don't even have to step foot into a classroom to be successful.
Founder and Managing Director Alister Shennan was inspired to come up with a new training model as he thought the industry wasn't getting the training it needed, or giving trainees the skills to succeed.
Through online learning which is video-centric paired with practical farm courses, Agriacademy delivers the best of both worlds and teaches learners how to be successful in a specific role without any qualifications.
"They can be successful very quickly and they can do it in a way in which they don't have to go into a classroom, there's no debt they have to incur, they can learn in their own way and they can do it quickly," Shennan said.
Agriacademy started with the wool harvesting course WOMO Life with specific training to be a shed hand, wool handler, shearer or crutcher and was now expanding into Get Milking with training specified for dairy assistants including calving.
Shennan said students go back into the woolsheds with a ten percent or more increase in productivity after attending a four-day practical session with WOMO Life.
Farmers were busy, they no longer had time to train staff with the pressures on the farm and the skills shortages, he said.
"Everyone's pretty excited about this model because it's delivering real benefits to a lot of people, not just the kids who are learning how to do things correctly and stay safe, it's about actually bringing productivity back into the industry which is an absolute must," he said.
Check out the full interview with Rural Exchange's Hamish McKay and Dom George and Alister Shennan above.
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