Training funding plan criticised

Press, 4 June 1982, Page 17

Training funding plan criticised

The new’ Government plan for funding of agricultural training will create a crisis of confidence in a scheme which had apparently been soundly based and sensibly financed, the chairman of the Agricultural Training Council. Mr Grahame Hall, said recently. The cost of running the agricultural training scheme is about the same as running a- small primary school, and yet its economic importance goes far beyond such a comparison, said Mr Hall.

“The numerous organisations involved have been called upon, long after the year’s financial planning has been completed and approved, to find 20 per cent additional income. “The alternative is to cut

back summarily on the complex nation-wide agricultural training programme already set in motion throughout the country," he said “A worse example oi clumsy decision-making would" be hard to imagine. “Three months ago the Government told us we would have to find 10 per cent of the cost or $70,000 for 1982/83 and now we are informed that we must put up three times this amount. So we face a serious projected shortfall for the current financial year. “There is no way in which we can demand extra funds of the magnitude required from the numerous producer organisations, already themselves heavily committed. “Ten years of steady de-

velopment of agricultural training has enabled a programme to be built up which is vital to the continuing development of New Zealand's major export industry. “One arbitrary Government decision has placed it under threat." said Mr Hall.

"Even if the agricultural producer organisations could eventually accept the demand for additional funds to finance the scheme, there is no way in which they could, at gunpoint, so to speak, find the additional amounts required to avoid disruption of carefully organised activities over the next 12 months.

“The significance of the announcement by the Minister of Labour will not I think have been grasped immediately by farmers.

“The manner in which it was explained made it look as though he was bestowing a benefit.

"But I have an obligation on behalf of the country’s largest industry to make plain the damage this decision will cause.

"Its true significance will very quickly become apparent and I am hopeful the Government will be persuaded to act in a way which will not threaten the continued effectiveness of an industry scheme which has been developed over the years through the dedication of thousands of farmers, hortriculturists and others on the land,” he concluded. Meanwhile Mr Lynn Kingsbury, of Dorie in Mid Canterbury, has been ap-

pointed the new’ chairman of the National Farm Cadet Training Scheme by the Dominion president of Federated Farmers. Mr Storey.Mr Kingsbury has had a 10 year involvement with cadet training and has been chairman of two provincial schemes. North Canterbury and Mid-Canterbury. ■ He was also involved in setting up the present National Cadet Committee and has served on its executive committee since its formation in 1978.

The priority for the cadet scheme for the year is consolidation of the present training programme, he said The new training programme was introduced only a year ago and concentrates on practical farm skills which are recorded in a personal training record book of the cadet.

The background knowledge which is examined by the Trades Certification Board is related to these tasks which build up to a complete farming practice.

Mr Kingsbury said he is extremely pleased with the way cadets and farmers have accepted this new and more practical training.

The national committee will need to carefully monitor this programme for the first group of cadets completing their trades certificate two years frorti now.

“We also need to work closely with the M.A.F. and the Department of Education for various supporting courses.” said Mr Kingsbury. “Their timing and content need to be carefully integrated jvith the over-all training cadets are receiving."