Enhancing industry services
Need/issues:
- The dairy industry operates in an increasingly complex environment with challenges arising from climatic conditions, milk prices, labour shortages, input availability and costs. This creates opportunities as well as risks. It is therefore essential to create a supportive environment that fosters learning and innovation through extension and education.
- A range of extension providers (eg public service) are changing focus from direct delivery to farmer (retail) to supporting people/organizations surrounding the farmer who influence in farmer decision making (vets, milk companies etc). Similarly agencies close to the farmer are increasing their interest in providing the information
- Farming complexity has escalated, and operatives providing advice need be deeply familiar with the changes that are occurring.
- The changing environment demands four factors become more prominent: (a) elevated acceptance of user pays for private benefit (b) increased requirement for driving vocational education/training (VET) in the upskilling process (c) increased transparency/clarity of the role of organizations in the change process and (d) a strong integration of education/extension services.
- The industry identified in 2005 that availability and use of highly relevant VET was essential for driving increased profitability and for it to be successful, a strong partnership between both was required as well as industry support for leadership, networking, and driving improved quality and availability of programs.
- Similarly there is a need to both support alignment and targeted resourcing of public extension providers, particularly where State government resources are reduced
Program objective:
Provide leadership, support and resources to ensure effective and quality extension and vocational training programs and related services that will equip dairy people with the knowledge, skills, motivation and confidence to improve business competiveness and sustainability.
Projects: