Primary ITO cements first successful year with new brand

Primary Industry Training Organisation cements first successful year with fresh new brand

On 1 October 2012, Agriculture ITO and Horticulture ITO merged to form the Primary Industry Training Organisation (Primary ITO). Primary ITO is also responsible for Water Industry Training, Equine Industry Training and NZ Sports Turf ITO, making it one of the largest ITOs in New Zealand.

“Agriculture ITO and Horticulture ITO made the proactive move to join together because we shared a natural affinity and a common vision. We recognised that we could deliver better outcomes for our industries by having an organisation with a larger critical mass and shared resources,” says Primary ITO Chief Executive Kevin Bryant.

Since the launch of Primary ITO, the organisation has continued to operate under the five existing brands.

“While we’ve been working as one cohesive organisation since last year, we haven’t looked like one. Now the time has come for us to reveal a fresh new look.”

The new Primary ITO logo represents the connected elements of primary production – land, plants and water.

“The brand launch is one of the final stages of the merger so it’s a special occasion for us. While we might look a little different, our focus on quality remains the same and we’ll continue to deliver practical, relevant training that delivers the best results for our customer’s careers and businesses,” Mr Bryant says.

As well as developing a new brand, the organisation has been working hard to align its operating systems and processes to deliver on the benefits promised through the merger.

The organisation is already seeing opportunities to increase the volume of training available through generic learning programmes, extending the Employers as Trainers workshops and Agribusiness Diploma classes in a range of sectors.

Another major initiative that has come to fruition since the merger is the establishment of Industry Partnership Groups (IPGs). IPGs enable all industries to have their voice heard to ensure our training meets their sector’s needs by having a representative on the National Advisory Group who have a Governance role with the Primary ITO Board. Presently, there are 12 approved IPGs established, representing over 90% of all Primary ITO trainees. The organisation looks forward to receiving IPG applications from the remaining sectors.

The new Primary ITO brand will be rolled out over the next couple of months to manage the costs of business as usual.

To enrol or for more information about Primary ITO’s qualifications, contact your local Primary ITO adviser on 0800 20 80 20 or visit www.primaryito.ac.nz.

About Primary ITO
On the 1st of October 2012, the Agriculture and Horticulture ITOs were merged to form the Primary Industry Training Organisation. The Primary ITO is also responsible for Water Industry Training, Equine Industry Training and NZ Sports Turf training making it one of the largest ITOs in New Zealand.

Primary ITO provides leadership in education and training, develops national qualifications, maintains national standards and provides ongoing support for their trainees and employers. Primary ITO training is subsidised by industry and Government.

For more information on Primary ITO please go to www.primaryito.ac.nz.

ENDS

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