Training workshops focused on managing employees and boosting office skills are now available to Western Australian grain growers.
Topics for the Partners in Grain (PinG) training programs, sponsored by the Department of Agriculture and Food, include improving farm office efficiency, the use of new ‘technology, tablets and tips’, and effectively managing people and employment obligations.
Department Regional Operations and Development Executive Director Peter Metcalfe said PinG’s WA reference group had identified these development opportunities as important skill sets required for the effective long term management of the farm business.
“The department supports PinG’s contribution to the grains sector through training initiatives like this and has provided the group with $56,000 in financial support to extend training to grain growers this financial year,” Mr Metcalfe said.
“PinG WA is working with the department to ensure that the training is accessible and affordable.”
PinG worked with the Grains Research and Development Corporation to develop the workshops’ content nationally, and is partnering with the department to meet the demand for delivery in WA.
PinG WA Chair Nicole Batten said the group continually received requests from farm businesses for PinG training workshops to be held in their local area.
“Our partnership with the department dramatically increases our ability to meet this demand,” Ms Batten said.
“To me PinG’s role is pretty simple – farming can be tough, but if we can provide affordable training opportunities that make day-to-day farm management tasks a little easier, allow farm businesses to be more resilient and help farmers enjoy their work, then I believe we’ve made a great difference to rural WA.”
More information about the courses, including upcoming dates and locations, is available from the PinG website partnersingrain.org.au/regions/western-australia/coming-events/ or contact WA State Coordinator Erin Green on 0429 108 936.
These management workshops complement the department’s suite of business planning and capacity building workshops including ‘Plan, Prepare, Prosper’ and ‘Planning for Profit’. More information on these workshops is available from agric.wa.gov.au
Media contacts: Jodie Thomson, DAFWA media liaison +61 (0)8 9368 3937