A wide range of vocational education and training (VET), short courses, workshops, technical training and university courses are available to equip cotton industry employees with the skills they need to forge a successful career in the industry. Below is a summary of the main training and education packages available, with the industry striving to create a “training pathway” whereby employees can progressively upgrade their skills and knowledge throughout their cotton career.
Primary School Education
The cotton industry believes that encouraging people to pursue a cotton career must begin early. Cotton Australia and the Cotton CRC run education programs in primary schools throughout NSW and QLD to provide basic hands-on information about the cotton production process.
Further information and training providers:
Cotton Australia
Ph (02) 9669 5222
Cotton CRC
Ph (02) 6799 1500
High School Education and Training
Cotton Seed
Cotton Seed is an entry-level training program for those seeking a career in the cotton industry. It is offered for Year 11 and 12 students in participating high schools and aims to encourage young people into the industry by providing them with skills and a career pathway. The training is both theoretical and practical and includes units such as how to:
- Work effectively in the industry
- Follow occupational health and safety procedures
- Observe environmental work practices
- Provide basic first aid
- Operate tractors
- Clean machinery of plant, animal and soil material
- Assist agricultural crop establishment
- Assist agricultural crop maintenance
- Assist agricultural crop harvesting
Further information and training providers:
Farrer Memorial Agricultural High School in Tamworth NSW was one of the first high schools to implement Cotton Seed training. To find out more ask your local school about their VET programs for students in Year 11 and 12.
Vocational Education and Training
Cotton Basics
The Cotton Basics Program is an entry level training program which builds and recognises the skills of existing cotton farm workers and attracts new workers through an accredited national training program. An accelerated training path is available for existing workers that assesses the skills they already have and provides training only in areas of need.
The Cotton Basics Program is conducted through Tocal College, mainly on farm with some local block release training for intensive skills development as seasonal opportunities arise.
Upon successful completion workers are awarded the Cotton Basics Industry Accreditation and the nationally recognised qualification Certificate II in Agriculture, specialising in Cotton Production.
Further information and training providers:
Tocal College
For further information phone 1800 025 520.
Cotton Advanced Skills Recognition Program
Cotton growers, managers and farm workers who have been involved in the development of Best Management Practices can now apply to have this skill set formally recognised with a vocational qualification. This can be done by a simple interview and farm visit process.
In short, this means that individuals who have been instrumental in introducing BMP to a BMP Certified cotton farm operation can now be qualified as a “Certified BMP Farm Manager”. This is equivalent to a Diploma of Agriculture specialising in cotton production, and will be recognised with an industry-endorsed certificate that can be used to gain employment across the cotton industry, or in other agricultural industries.
Further information and training providers:
Download the Cotton Advanced Skills Recognition Brochure.
For further information contact Tocal College on 1800 025 520
University Training
The Cotton Production Course at the University of New England in Armidale offers specialist tertiary training in cotton production. In addition, a number of NSW and QLD Universities offer tertiary training in Rural Agricultural Science.
For more information and training providers:
Cotton Production Course at UNE: www.une.edu.au/agss/cotton
For a full listing of all agricultural courses offered in Australia’s tertiary institutions, go to www.myfuture.edu.au—and search by agriculture.
Technical Industry Training
The following training is either mandatory (by law) or required as part of compliance with the cotton industry’s Best Management Practices program.
ChemCert
ChemCert accreditation provides the mandatory training required under the NSW Pesticides Act (not compulsory in Qld, but highly recommended) and includes chemical safety rules, preparation and application of chemicals and the transportation, handling and storage of chemicals. It also enables users to meet their obligations under the Best Management Practices Program.
For a listing of accredited ChemCert training providers and more information on course contents, please go to www.chemcert.org.au
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Short Course
This short course is available by request. It includes the principles for how to implement an IPM program on farm, insectocology in cotton including sucking and chewing pests and how to control them, developing communication plans with cotton consultants and management of cotton in sensitive areas.
For more information, or to express interest in this course please contact the Cotton Industry Training Coordinator, Mark Hickman on (07) 4688 1206.
Field to Fabric Short Course
This training course is designed to give participants an overview of the entire cotton pipeline from the farm to predicting fabric performance. The course runs over three days at the CSIRO in Geelong, Victoria and is designed for people who are involved in any part of the cotton industry from grower to technologist. It aims to give a better understanding of how segments of the industry operate and how each relates to one another.
For more information, please go to www.csiro.au/events/pe8f or contact Rene van Der Sluijs on (03) 5246 4738.
Cotton and Grains Irrigation Course
A series of workshops focusing on irrigation benchmarking, budgeting, scheduling and storage and distribution systems are available through the Cotton CRC Water Extension Team. The workshops are run in the field and are aimed at providing participants with a wide range of practical skills in water use efficiency. The workshops are aligned with the Cotton BMP Land and Water Module and can contribute towards obtaining a nationally recognised qualification.
For more information please visit www.cottonandgrains.irrigationfutures.org.au or to express interest in these workshops please contact your Cotton Water Use Efficiency Team Member (contact details are at www.cottoncrc.org.au)
