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Why is training and development important? Manage risk in the business, improve productivity, iIncrease morale and motivation, retain good staff. Value of Training and Development Why should I focus on training and development? See Below for Information on: Importance of Training & Development Choosing Opportunities Training & Development Myths Te Ara Poutama Why is training and development important? Manage risk in the business: Meet minimum standards for health and safety, operating equipment, and looking after themselves and others. Improve productivity: Training enhances employees' skills, leading to more efficient and effective work. Well-trained employees make fewer mistakes, saving time, cost, and resources. Increase morale and motivation: Training empowers employees, boosting confidence and morale. Opportunities for growth and development keep employees motivated and engaged. Upskilling can help staff feel like they have something important to offer the team, and can help build a sense of self, identity, and positive wellbeing. Retain good staff: Employees are more likely to stay with a business that invests in their development. Providing growth opportunities can foster loyalty. Training and development can cost businesses a lot if it is done ineffectively. Below are a few principles that can help you decide how to approach training and development for your employees and business. How do I know what training and development is right for my employees? 1. Meet your minimum requirements Core training: Ensure that basic skills required for safe operation are continuously upheld. This is fundamental to any training and development programme. Set Clear Expectations: Clearly outline the basic skills that all employees need to know. For training and development beyond that, make it clear whether you expect employees to proactively seek out training opportunities or if you will provide suggestions / options. 2. Ensure training is relevant Align with Business Goals: Make sure training programs are directly linked to your business needs. Job-Specific Skills: Focus on skills and knowledge that are immediately applicable to employees' roles. (see Attracting the Right Individuals on writing effective job descriptions) 3. Promote continuous learning Ongoing Development: Encourage employees to continuously improve (see a simple process for doing this below ). Also, see how mentors and coaches can support continuous learning in Mentorship and Coaching . 4. Make training accessible Work with employees: Work with employees to understand their motivations, goals, learning styles, schedule, and any barriers to training and development they may have. See more in Workplace Wellbeing and Culture and Māori Cultural Confidence. Remove barriers: Where practical provide support to ensure the best outcome for the employee and your business. 5. Measure and evaluate effectiveness Track Progress: To ensure the training and development you are delivering or supporting is relevant and effective, tracking employee progress will be important. There are a range of ways to do this outlined below. This information can help you adjust and refine to get better results. What are some myths about training and development? Myth 1: Training and development is expensive Lots of training and development is free / low cost - so cost may not always be a barrier. You/your employees may be able to access government or industry financial support (see the page on Financial Support ). Some things are more expensive but worth it. Ensuring the training is relevant to your business will help determine whether it is a worthwhile investment. You can share costs with your employee and/or implement a bonding agreement for the cost of courses to ensure return on your investment. Myth 2: If I train my staff, they will leave (or want more pay) It is often true that when an employee feels they are adding more value to a business they expect to be paid at a higher rate. Working out a development plan, and being transparent with employees about the requirements for different types of roles / skills / knowledge and the value you relate to those will help manage expectations. A simple process for this is outlined here . It can also be true that training and development can advance employees' career pathway expectations and if there is no clear ‘next step’ in their current business they may go elsewhere. Sharing your expectations and the opportunities in your business as transparently as possible with employees will help them understand where you are at. Employees upskilling and leaving can still support your business in the longer-term both through reputation and returning of previous staff. When the majority of employers in the sector take this approach it also increases the skill base of all employees. Myth 3: Training takes staff out of work leaving me understaffed There are a range of options for learning - many of which are work-based and/or flexible and will fit in easily within a week (i.e. part time or outside of work hours training) Training and development is a great thing to focus on when the season is not so busy such as over winter for some industries. Myth 4: There are no training or development courses relevant to my business, so I have to do it myself There has been a lot of change in the government’s approach to industry training and development over the past five years. This has resulted in a lot of change in the types and range of training and learning available. Something more suited to your business may have been recently made available or in the pipeline. Share what training and development you want with your Workforce Development Council - Muka Tangata . It is their job to recommend changes to the system to ensure industry needs are being met. Myth 5: It is impossible for employees with literacy and numeracy difficulties to do training and development Training and development might look different for these employees, however, there are different guidelines and resources available (e.g. from Primary ITO , NZQA , Ako Aotearoa , Literacy Aotearoa , Pathways Awarua ) for working with learners struggling with literacy and numeracy. This includes employees who are alliterate, or may have dyslexia or another form of neurodiversity. What is Te Ara Poutama? Poutama are a stepped pattern seen in toi Māori (Māori arts) such as tukutuku panels or in woven mats. It is a symbol of whakapapa (genealogy) and can represent levels of learning and achievement. This pursuit of higher learning is heard in the pūrākau (story) of Tānenuiarangi, who sought the three baskets of knowledge from the topmost heaven. Each iwi (tribe) has their own version of this story. Some iwi identify this pūrākau with the figure Tāwhaki. The stepped pattern in the poutama is often interpreted as Tāne’s ascendency. This approach to learning is grounded in a Māori worldview as an ongoing and continuous journey of growth and expansion. This is also an example of the importance of educational achievement and the pursuit of knowledge is a shared view among many cultures. Should you wish to learn more about Tāne’s pursuit of the baskets of knowledge, a version of the pūrākau was produced by KIWA Digital which you can find here . Click here to find out more on Actions to Take

Check out the following six sections to increase your people’s job satisfaction, boost productivity and keep your team motivated and committed. C lick the section in the employee lifecycle that interests you the most! How do I hire and onboard new employees so they stay for longer? How can I create a positive environment that boosts job satisfaction? How do I grow my understanding of Māori experiences in the workplace? How can I invest in employee growth for maximum impact? How do I follow the law and fulfill my obligations as an employer? How do I support employees in their growth journey? Attracting the Right Individuals Māori Cultural Confidence Training & Development Employer Obligations Mentorship & Coaching Workplace Wellbeing & Culture Employee lifecycle Attract Retain Click here to search the Toolkit Why invest in your people The food and fibre sector is vital to Aotearoa New Zealand's economy, driven by hard-working employees. However, retention rates during the first 12 months are critically low due to mental health challenges, misaligned job expectations, and poor employee-manager relationships. Food and Fibre Centre of Vocational Excellence (Food and Fibre CoVE) has created a toolkit to address these issues, aiming to enhance job satisfaction and retention. Replacing staff is costly, ranging from 30% to 200% of their annual salary, and impacts productivity. Satisfied employees are more productive, improving business performance. Incorporating te ao Māori principles can further enrich the workplace. Investing in our workers secures the sector's future... Paul Hollings Food & Fibre CoVE, General Manager [image] View More Listen to the Audio Version here Download the Printable Version here

The Food and Fibre Employer Toolkit is a free, easy to use resource to help you with all aspects of people management in the primary industries. It includes tips to attract the right individuals, improve workplace culture, mentor and coach employees, and support training and development. Check out the following six sections to increase your people’s job satisfaction, boost productivity and keep your team motivated and committed. C lick the section in the employee lifecycle that interests you the most! How can I invest in employee growth for maximum impact? How do I follow the law and fulfill my obligations as an employer? How do I support employees in their growth journey? Attracting the Right Individuals Māori Cultural Confidence Training & Development Employer Obligations Mentorship & Coaching Workplace Wellbeing & Culture How do I hire and onboard new employees so they stay for longer? How do I grow my understanding of Māori experiences in the workplace? How can I create a positive environment that boosts job satisfaction? Employee lifecycle Attract Retain Click here to search the Toolkit Why invest in your people The food and fibre sector is vital to Aotearoa New Zealand's economy, driven by hard-working employees. However, retention rates during the first 12 months are critically low due to mental health challenges, misaligned job expectations, and poor employee-manager relationships. Food and Fibre Centre of Vocational Excellence (Food and Fibre CoVE) has created a toolkit to address these issues, aiming to enhance job satisfaction and retention. Replacing staff is costly, ranging from 30% to 200% of their annual salary, and impacts productivity. Satisfied employees are more productive, improving business performance. Incorporating te ao Māori principles can further enrich the workplace. Investing in our workers secures the sector's future... Paul Hollings Food & Fibre CoVE, General Manager [image] View More Listen to the Audio Version here Download the Printable Version here

What does a good attraction process look like? To help you understand how all the steps of the hiring process link together, three case studies have been detailed below to show how outcomes can change based on the hiring experience What does a good attraction process look like? To help you understand how all the steps of the hiring process link together, three case studies have been detailed below to show how outcomes can change based on the hiring experience. Needs Addressing Doing Well Excelling Case Study 1 - Needs Addressing Description: Eleanor is an owner of a horticulture business who was looking for a role which requires around two years of experience. Preparing: Eleanor wanted to hire as quickly as she could so she didn’t take time to understand what her business offered their employees or define what skills and experience she was clearly looking for. Finding: An old job ad was used from three years prior when she was looking for a similar role to advertise the position. Even though some aspects of the job ad aren't accurate, Eleanor didn’t think it impacted too much on who applied. She posted this ad across a few platforms. Assessing: Eleanor was disappointed when only two people applied for the role. Even though neither of them had the experience or skill she really needed, she decided to interview them anyway. Selecting: After a quick phone call with both applicants, she decided to hire Barry. Barry was the elder of the two candidates and Eleanor thought he would have more maturity. She figured out their ages by asking for their birthdays. Hiring: Eleanor sent the employment agreement over to Barry the next day without completing any tests or checks. Welcoming: When Barry turned up on the first day he was introduced to a few members of his team and given the equipment he needed to complete the job. He wasn’t offered any support on how to learn his role. Barry felt very stressed as he had no previous experience in the job as he had expressed to Eleanor. Outcome: Barry ended up leaving the role after two months. He felt unsure on what was expected of him and how to do the job. Although Barry expressed his inexperience in the role during the hiring process, he felt he was not trained or supported to learn on the job. What worked well : Posted the job ad across multiple platforms Used an employment agreement What needs improvement: Did not define why an employee should work for the business Did not use an updated and accurate job ad Hired the better candidate who applied, but not the right person for the role. Eleanor should have redone the steps to get better experienced candidates Did not interview in-person Did not spend time getting to know the candidate and their experience Asked an illegal interview question about the age of the candidates Did not complete tests and checks Did not provide an opportunity to negotiate the employment agreement Did not provide a supportive onboarding experience Did not provide training on missing skills and experience Case Study 2 - Doing Well Description: Dale is a manager at a forestry business who was looking for a role which requires little to no experience as on the job learning is expected. Preparing: Dale was able to successfully pull together the basic skills and experience he was looking for in the role. He also created a list of benefits employees get from working at the business. Finding: Dale pulled together a basic job ad using online resources and posted this ad in Facebook groups and on established job seeking platforms. However, as he was concerned that he wouldn’t get much traction for the role, he decided to flourish and exaggerate some aspects of the job ad to gain interest. Assessing: Dale received many applications for the role, many which seemed to come from career changers. He chose the top three candidates to interview by their writing abilities in the application form. Selecting: As skill and experience isn’t a large requirement of the role, Dale opted for a casual interview style. He chose Sarah as the preferred candidate as she seemed passionate about what the business could offer her in her new career. Hiring: Dale completed important tests and checks on Sarah, including drugs and alcohol tests, police background checks, and referee checks. Once he received the results and was satisfied he sent a draft employment agreement over to Sarah to look over and comment on. Welcoming: On Sarah’s first day, she was greeted by Barry and her buddy for her onboarding, Shawn. Shawn was in Sarah’s exact shoes two years ago - new to the job with little experience. Across Sarah’s first few months, Shawn taught her everything she would need to know to do her role in forestry, with a special focus on health and safety. Shawn also made sure to introduce Sarah to all of the team as early on as possible. Outcome: Although Sarah felt very welcomed into the role by Dale and Shawn and believed it would be the perfect opportunity for her career change, the realities of the job did not align with what she was sold in the job ad and interview. Sarah tried to stay because of how much she felt welcomed by the people, but only lasted 6 months before resigning. What worked well : Defined the skills and experience needed Defined the perks of the job Created a new job ad Posted the job ad across multiple platforms Interviewed in a way suitable for the role Completed tests and checks Sent over an employment agreement for negotiation Welcoming onboarding experience Trained on missing skills and experience What needs improvement: Did not define ‘fit’ for the role Exaggerated the perks of the role without acknowledging the realities Did not choose candidates based on what will make them successful in the job (i.e. based selection on writing abilities) Case Study 3 - Excelling Description: Trent is an owner of an apiculture business who was looking for a basic entry role. Preparing: Trent understands how costly it is to constantly rehire and train new employees. Therefore, he spent time considering who would be suited to this role (fit)? What would they be looking for and act like? What key basic skills and experience would they have, and was this needed for an entry role? This helped him form the basis of his job ad. Finding: Using a new job ad, Trent made sure to highlight both the positives and realities of the role. He wanted to make sure he attracted a person who knew from the beginning what they were getting into. Trent advertised using schools as he wanted to hire a recent school leaver. This was with the aim of attracting someone that could grow and was eager to learn. Assessing: As Trent didn’t sugar coat the role and advertised to a smaller pool of people, he took a hit in how many applicants he had. However, out of the three applications he received they all seemed of high quality and people who he would want to interview. Selecting: As Trent was interviewing school leavers, he opted for a semi-formal interview style with some key questions he wanted answers to dotted throughout. He wanted the interview to feel like a conversation where he got to know the person. He also wanted the applicants to feel at ease as they likely had never done an interview before. He decided to hire Jack who had a passion for learning and interest in apiculture. Hiring: Trent completed basic tests on checks on Jack, including a police background check and referee checks. When these were complete he sent the employment agreement over to Jack to agree on. Welcoming: On Jack’s first day, Trent met with him and introduced him to his buddy Kyle. They both took him around the business and introduced him to the team. As it was Jack’s first ever job they made sure to develop a special training program which ensured he would have the basic skills and experience he needed for success within his first 4 months. Outcome: As Jack understood what the role entailed, there were no surprises when there were parts of the job that were hard. However, having Trent and Kyle there to support him and teach him his role made him happy at work and excited to turn up each day. Jack is excited to have a career in apiculture and plans to stay with Trent until he is ready to open up his own business. What worked well : Defined the ‘fit’ needed Defined the skills and experience needed Defined perks of the job Defined realities of the job Created an accurate job ad Posted the job ad in a way that target the people that were needed Interviewed in a way suitable for the role Chose the hired candidate off qualities important for the role Completed tests and checks Sent over an employment agreement for negotiation Welcoming and supportive onboarding experience Specialised training to gain experience quickly Click here to find out more on Māori Cultural Confidence

Below are examples of two different employees who are navigating training and development with support from their employers. Case Study One: Jane, Organic farming - School Leaver doing an Apprenticeship. Case Study Two: David, Career Changer What does good training and development look like? Below are examples of two different employees who are navigating training and development with support from their employers School Leaver & Apprenticeship Career Changer Case Study One: Jane, Organic farming - School Leaver doing an Apprenticeship After leaving school, Jane took on an apprenticeship role in an orchard where she worked and studied to gain her New Zealand diploma in horticulture. Over several years, Jane’s skills improved and her technical knowledge developed. This led Jane to be promoted to leading hand after three years in the industry. Jane enjoyed being part of a cohort, and having inbuilt mentors in her trainers. She appreciated having her work on the job acknowledged through the apprenticeship assessments. Jane's apprenticeship was funded through a combination of government grants, industry grants, and employer support. The government provided financial support as part of a program aimed at encouraging young people to enter the food and fibre sector, covering a significant portion of her tuition and training costs. Additionally, her employer contributed to her funding by offering a stipend and covering expenses related to on-the-job training, ensuring that Jane would focus on gaining valuable skills without the burden of financial stress. The industry body provided several small grants to support Jane and also connected her in with other trainees in her region, and local industry events. Jane’s employer supported her through: Supporting the training and assessment infrastructure required to deliver a NZ Apprenticeship. Making sure Jane’s work and studies were related and practical. Sharing industry grant/scholarship opportunities with Jane. Connecting Jane, where appropriate with other apprentices in the region. Recognising Jane’s improved skills and promoting her accordingly. Case Study Two: David, Career Changer David, a mid-career professional with a background in project management in the logistics industry, decided to pursue his passion for animal care by transitioning into shepherding. While his previous role involved significant organisational and communication skills, David recognised the need to gain sector-specific knowledge and certifications to succeed in his new chosen field. Identifying Transferable skills: David’s employer started off by identifying his transferable skills, which include project management, communication, problem-solving and leadership. Identifying Skills Gaps: David’s employer helped him to identify several key areas where he lacked specific knowledge and skills necessary for being a shepherd: Animal Health and Welfare, Farm Management, and the Regulatory Compliance knowledge needed to work with livestock. Filling the Skill Gaps: To address these gaps, David took the following steps: Sector-Specific Courses: NZ Certificate in Primary Industry Skills: David enrolled in a comprehensive certification program that covered essential topics such as animal nutrition, breeding, health management, and welfare standards. On the Job Learning: David learned to operate a tractor, guided by his work ‘buddy’ assigned to him on day one. Practical Experience through Buddying: David arranged to buddy with experienced shepherds. This allowed him to observe best practices in daily operations. Mentorship: David’s employer set him up with a mentor (through his catchment group contacts) in the sector who ten years ago also changed careers into shepherding. This mentor provided guidance, advice, and support throughout his transition. The employers role David’s employer supported him through… 1. Skill gap identification 2. Financial Support for Training tuition reimbursement providing paid training leave 3. Practical Experience: Job Shadowing Opportunities (with a buddy) On-the-Job Training (with a buddy) 4. Flexibility and Encouragement: Allowed David to have a flexible work schedule so he could prioritise training Provided a supportive environment to learn 5. Mentoring and Networking: Assigned him a Mentor Click here to find out more on Attracting the Right Individuals

How can I invest in employee growth for maximum impact? Learning new skills is important for everyone, especially in the ever-changing world we live in. In the food and fibre sector, there are many training and development options available, which can sometimes feel overwhelming. But helping your employees grow can make a big difference in their job satisfaction and how long they stay with you. Training and Development How can I invest in employee growth for maximum impact? Learning new skills is important for everyone, especially in the ever-changing world we live in. In the food and fibre sector, there are many training and development options available, which can sometimes feel overwhelming. But helping your employees grow can make a big difference in their job satisfaction and how long they stay with you. Training and development is important for workers to learn new skills and stay up-to-date with the latest farming methods and technologies to make work more productive. In addition, workers feel valued when they get chances to learn and are more likely to stay with a company. Investing in training builds a skilled, motivated, and loyal team, which is essential for success in this changing industry. Value of Training and Development For information on Importance of Training & Development Choosing Opportunities Training & Development Myths Te Ara Poutama Implementing Training & Development View More For information on Informal Semi-Formal Formal Continuous Professional Development Actions to Take View More Financial Support For information on Government Support Scholarships Bonding Additional Support View More We have created some examples of what training and development looks like for school leavers and career changers What does it look like? See Here Find more information and help here See the page here for more resources to help you in discovering training and development information and opportunities See Here Click here for more on the Value of Training and Development

This section includes links to some resources that will support your journey and build your confidence in understanding te ao Māori, including on te ao Māori, te reo Māori, Muka Tangata, Other More Information and Help External resources on Māori Cultural Confidence This section includes links to some resources that will support your journey and build your confidence in understanding te ao Māori. Te ao Māori E-Tangata: Understanding Mātauranga Māori - An article by Hirini Moko Mead on understanding Mātauranga Māori New Zealand Intellectual Property Office: Māori IP - Describes what Māori IP is Hirini Moko Mead: Tikanga Māori Book - A comprehensive published book on living by Māori values Te Ara: Whakapapa - An article on whakapapa and what it means Mana: The Importance of Whanaungatanga - An article of whanaungatanga and what it means Te Ara: Families and Hospitality - How to show hospitality through Māori values Ngati Porou: Kaitiakitanga - How to be a kaitiaki for the environment Te Papa: Maramataka - Resources on learning about Maramataka Te Ara: Pōwhiri Process - An article on the pōwhiri process and what it means Te Ara: Tangihanga - An article on tangihanga and what it means Te Reo Māori Reo Māori: Māori Language Week - A description on what Māori language week is Reo Māori: Resources - A list of resources to learn te reo Māori Reo Māori: Where to Learn - Education opportunities to learn te reo Māori Reo Māori: Learn your Mihi - Where to start in learning your mihi Reo Māori: Guide for Pronunciation - How to pronounce the Māori alphabet and words Mahuru: Mahuru Challenge - Set a challenge to help you improve in te reo Te Taura Whiri: Māori Language Commission - A website with dedicated resources on learning te reo Māori Te Taura Whiri: Language Planning Resources - Resources to help set you up to learn te reo Māori Muka Tangata Muka Tangata is the Workforce Development Council dedicated to the food and fibre sector. Their focus is on improving vocational education and training to meet the needs of the sector, iwi and hapū, ākonga (learners), and kaimahi (workers). They collaborate with industries and education providers to offer skills leadership, develop qualifications and standards, and ensure quality assurance. Below are some suggested links regarding implementing te ao Māori in the food and fibre sector: Muka Tangata: Online Seminars - Registration to on seminars to understand how to incorporate Mātauranga Māori at work Muka Tangata: Successful Māori-Centric Practices and Models - Evidenced ways to incorporate Māori values at work Muka Tangata: Skills Framework for Food and Fibre Sector - A framework of skills with te ao Māori embedded throughout Food and Fibre CoVE: Food and Fibre Māori Leadership Development Framework - In development in conjunction with Muka Tangata Other Te Puni Kōkiri: Directory of Iwi and Māori Organisations - To find and discover locations of Māori groups Te Whata: Māori Census Data - To understand more on Māori location and data available Ministry for Primary Industries: Path for Prosperity (pdf) - Plan to support Māori food and fibre sector Reserve Bank of New Zealand: The Māori Economy (2018) - Report on the Māori economy Te Puni Kōkiri: Māori in Horticulture (2020) - A report on the size and share of Māori in the horticulture sector Click here to find out more on Elements of te ao Māori