The Country
  • The Country home
  • Latest news
  • Audio & podcasts
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life
  • Listen on iHeart radio

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • Coast & Country News
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Horticulture
  • Animal health
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life

Media

  • Podcasts
  • Video

Weather

  • Kaitaia
  • Whāngarei
  • Dargaville
  • Auckland
  • Thames
  • Tauranga
  • Hamilton
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Tokoroa
  • Te Kuiti
  • Taumurunui
  • Taupō
  • Gisborne
  • New Plymouth
  • Napier
  • Hastings
  • Dannevirke
  • Whanganui
  • Palmerston North
  • Levin
  • Paraparaumu
  • Masterton
  • Wellington
  • Motueka
  • Nelson
  • Blenheim
  • Westport
  • Reefton
  • Kaikōura
  • Greymouth
  • Hokitika
  • Christchurch
  • Ashburton
  • Timaru
  • Wānaka
  • Oamaru
  • Queenstown
  • Dunedin
  • Gore
  • Invercargill

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / The Country

Whanganui's AGC Training is filling the void in the dairy industry workforce

By Iain Hyndman
Sport Reporter·Whanganui Chronicle·
13 Jan, 2021 04:00 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Milk harvesting is a valid career option allowing flexibility in a healthy work environment. Photo / Supplied

Milk harvesting is a valid career option allowing flexibility in a healthy work environment. Photo / Supplied

A Whanganui company is embracing a challenging role to produce an ongoing steady stream of workers for the New Zealand dairy industry, which is struggling for skilled staff.

Since its inception as the Ag Challenge more than 30 years, the newly named AGC Training has been in the game of teaching students the art of agriculture and other trades to provide a steady stream of graduates to join the workforce as skilled staff.

Now the dairy industry has found itself struggling to unearth skilled workers on a steady basis.

Dairy New Zealand is promoting careers in dairying and has developed the Go Dairy website, a promotion that AGC Training fully supports. Links to its available courses are on this website.

The Go Dairy website urges: "Do something that matters. Improve lives, nurture animals, enhance the environment and design the future in a dairy career."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

All dairy careers make New Zealand's dairy sector world leading. As one of New Zealand's largest employers, the dairy sector needs motivated and passionate people to make a difference in the world.

That's where AGC Training steps in.

The company's Milk Harvesting L3 course is specifically designed for today's environment.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

During Covid-19 lockdown, AGC Training was able to continue as an essential service and adapted that particular course to offer it online.

That option continues today.

Dairy farm workers can complete the Milk Harvesting course alongside their farm work with online study and visits from an AGC Tutor/field officer to ensure everything remains on track.

The traditional study options in the classroom and two dairy farms dedicated to the cause for practical lessons also remain available.

Discover more

Taihape's two biggest events join forces

19 Jan 04:00 PM

AGC Training owner and longtime dairy farmer Stephen Gudsell is sold on the dairy industry as a viable, exciting career option, not only for the younger school-leaving set, but also the older student looking to change career post-Covid.

"Milk harvesting, especially, is a career that offers so much," Gudsell said.

"Dairy farmers are always on the lookout for someone to take over at milking time when they need a break. A qualified relief milker can step in and do the job and then is free between say 9am and 3pm to do whatever they want – even another job. Not many jobs are that flexible.

"Dairy farming is a lifestyle. You get to work with animals and work outdoors – it's healthy and can act as a springboard to other careers," Gudsell said.

The Milk Harvesting course begins next month and AGC Training's rolling intake policy allows potential students the chance to enrol at any time throughout the year.

Subscribe to Premium
Save

    Share this article

Latest from The Country

The Country

'Lunacy': Farmers fight cuts to Taranaki agriculture courses

The Country

Rural community 'in shock' as industrial park greenlit

Premium
The Country

More than half of Crown Regional Holdings' loan book flagged as 'at risk'


Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from The Country

'Lunacy': Farmers fight cuts to Taranaki agriculture courses
The Country

'Lunacy': Farmers fight cuts to Taranaki agriculture courses

WITT plans to scrap agriculture courses, worrying the Taranaki farming community.

16 Jul 10:23 PM
Rural community 'in shock' as industrial park greenlit
The Country

Rural community 'in shock' as industrial park greenlit

16 Jul 09:04 PM
Premium
Premium
More than half of Crown Regional Holdings' loan book flagged as 'at risk'
The Country

More than half of Crown Regional Holdings' loan book flagged as 'at risk'

16 Jul 08:54 PM


Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

06 Jul 09:47 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP