# Now’s the perfect time to start a career in wine

- Link: https://rd2.co.nz/nows-the-perfect-time-to-start-a-career-in-wine/
- Published: 2018-07-27T01:22:17+00:00
- Author: Molly Callaghan

Capable and qualified people are needed to keep up with growing demands of New Zealand’s
booming wine industry, which will likely reach $2bn in exports annually by 2020.

To this end, New Zealand Winegrowers is supporting the launch of a new apprenticeship
which aims to grow the wider horticultural industry’s workforce and support the 
recruitment of 100 future leaders. It’s a collaboration between the horticulture
and viticulture industries along with Primary ITO, the Ministry for Business Innovation
and Employment (MBIE) and the Ministry of Social Development (MSD). New Zealand 
Winegrowers CEO Philip Gregan says the scheme will help propel people forward into
exciting roles within the successful wine industry. “The sector contributes over
20,000 jobs to New Zealand and wine is now our fifth biggest export. Exports are
trending upwards – we are the third biggest exporter into the USA after France and
Italy – there’s never been a better time to pursue a career in wine.” The apprenticeships
aim to upskill through on-the-job training, which aligns to industry requirements
and regional needs, helping apprentices benefit from practical skills and learnings
they can apply on the job. The three-year apprenticeship has been designed to replicate
a typical season, so can be started anytime. Benefits to employers include the recruitment
and retention of existing staff, rewarding and securing talent, building flexibility
and capability in teams, increasing productivity, helping with succession planning,
and minimising health and safety risks. “This is an encouraging first step in this
sector-led, government-supported approach that improves employers’ access to reliable,
appropriately skilled staff at the right time and place,” says Nathan Grennell from
MBIE. The new Apprenticeship in Horticulture Production will be launched at the 
Horticulture Conference in Christchurch. For more information on the Horticulture
Production Apprenticeship visit www.letsgrow.co.nz