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New Zealand Diploma in Primary Industry Business Management

SX2201

Course details

  • Ongoing
  • 18 months
  • Part-time
  • Fee dependent on modules selected
  • Level 5
  • Regional locations and online

Summary

This programme is designed for owners and managers in agricultural businesses, including those who have relevant industry experience and are ready to advance into a management capacity.

It is structured for people who are working, with face-to-face courses offered in rural locations, as well as block courses and online learning available to suit students’ work commitments.

Students in this programme will ​
  • Be able to achieve business and career goals faster 
  • Gain the confidence to present accounts and plans to banks, accountants, and other rural professionals in the best way possible 
  • Make decisions based on sound judgement  
  • Work with their own agribusiness’ statistics 
  • Gain ideas and inspiration from colleagues 
  • Have a highly respected, industry-recognised qualification 
  • Be able to directly apply what they have learnt to their own agribusiness

Working in partnership

A number of key industry organisations are working in partnership to help keep students' skills relevant, take their career to the next level, and achieve their business goals. These organisations include Primary ITO, DairyNZ, Dairy Training Ltd, and Wintec.

Within the partnership, agribusiness students are enrolled and managed by Wintec, the Primary ITO is responsible for marketing, recruitment and on-farm support, and Dairy Training Limited, as a specialised provider of dairy farm training, is contracted to Wintec to deliver the diploma training.

What is involved

An assessor will visit students on the farm and assess their skills and knowledge through a professional conversation. Students will be asked to produce naturally occurring evidence, like current budgets, business plans, or lending proposals – these are the documents they use in their everyday management of the farm.

What you will learn​​​

Students will study five key areas, with the final course being a report on their property. Each course is made up of unit standards. If students have completed any of the unit standards in previous study they can have them cross-credited. ​

1. Primary industry business strategic planning

In this module students will learn how to:

  • Prepare a business plan and monitor their business’ performance against objectives 
  • Accurately evaluate investment options and return on investment 
  • Make decisions about an ownership structure that will future-proof their business 
  • Manage risks such as volatility in market prices and unplanned weather events 
  • Understand the concepts of asset management, transfer and succession 
  • Understand the effects of market forces on their business and their neighbours
Module codeModule nameLevelCredits
PIBM501Strategic Planning for a Primary Industry Business520

 

​2. Financial planning and management 

​In this module students will learn how to: 

  • Develop annual cash flow forecasts
  • Prepare budgets for their bank manager
  • Plan a calendar with financial requirements by season
  • Prepare a finance proposal to grow (extend or diversify) their agribusiness
  • Identify taxation and compliance 
Module codeModule nameLevelCredits
PIBM502Financial Planning & Management in a Primary Industry Business525

3. Human resource planning and management

In this module students will learn how to:

  • Understand their employment obligations, including termination rights and responsibilities 
  • Understand recruitment principles and selecting the right people 
  • Apply staff management techniques to improve staff retention 
  • Build a highly productive farm team 
Module codeModule titleLevelCredits
PIBM501Human Resource Management in Primary Industries525

 

4. Environment and sustainability management 

In this module students will: 

  • Learn how to enhance the sustainability of physical resources 
  • Gain skills to develop a detailed action plan to meet specified objectives 
  • Learn how to analyse results and plan for contingencies 
  • Learn how to manage natural and physical resources 
Module codeModule nameLevelCredits
PIBM504
Primary Industry Environment & Sustainability Management
525

5. Business analysis and reporting

The property report involves creating a detailed report on an agribusiness that documents every aspect of the business – from an overview of the current operation to analysis of opportunities and threats. 

Module codeModule nameLevelCreditsPre-requisites
PIBM505Primary Industry Business Analysis and Reporting525PIBM501,
PIBM502,
PIBM503,
PIBM504

 

Application process

New students​ 

If you are new to this programme, you will need to: 

  1. Apply online or download and complete an Application to Enrol Form.
  2. If you are unsure if you meet the entry criteria, complete the Additional Information Form, so that your situation can be further assessed. If you have applied online, this form is included as part of the online application process. 
  3. If you have them, provide certified copies of your prior academic transcripts. Find out more about supporting material for enrolment here.
  4. We may also need to verify your identity (your legal name and date of birth) as well as your residency status. If you are a domestic student, we may be able to do this through your National Student Number (NSN), if we can not access your NSN number, you will need to provide evidence of this by supplying verified copies of your birth certificate or passport. 
  5. You can then complete a Module Selection Form. The Primary ITO can assist with this form, which determines which courses you will do, when, and where. You can contact the Primary ITO on the details below:
  6. 0800 20 80 20
    info@primaryito.ac.nz
    PO Box 10-383 The Terrace Wellington 6143

Returning students ​​​​

If you are returning to this programme, you will need to complete:

  1. A Returning Student Form, which you can do online  here.
  2. Please complete The Module Selection Form​.
  3. The Primary ITO can help you through the module selection process and any transfer of credits. You can contact the Primary ITO on the details above.

Once you have submitted your application

  • We will email you to confirm we have received it and let you know if there is anything more we need from you.
  • We will assess your application and let you know the outcome.
  • If you are accepted to study, we will send you an enrolment offer letter - you will need to accept this to confirm your place on the programme.
  • Click here to find out more about enrolment and accepting your offer.

Graduate story

“I think it’s vital to upskill particularly the financial papers for doing cashflows and budgets. That way you can keep your bank and stakeholders up to date with the impact of lower payouts, and put some plans in place to help get through the tough times. It helps to have some control over your situation rather than a wait and see approach which may be too late!”
Shona and Tony Pedersen, both diploma graduates, Raglan.

Career/further opportunities

This programme may help graduates to move into roles such as agribusiness manager, farm owner or director. The programme may help those who are wanting to become owners of farms, or take on sharing milk contracting roles. Many graduates and students are moving towards self-employment opportunities.

Disclaimers

Entry criteria

Candidates are required to have gained: 

i) 48 credits at NCEA Level 2 including 12 credits in English or Māori; or

ii) A relevant qualification at NZQF Level 3 or above; or 

iii) Equivalent; and 

iv) Must be in a position to access financial and production performance information about a specific agribusiness.

Want to see full details of the entry criteria?

Don't meet the entry criteria?

Pathways

To check what you need to gain entry to a course, review the entry criteria available on each programme page. These assist you in understanding what qualifications or experience are typically required to gain entry. You can contact our team at info@wintec.ac.nz or 0800 2 Wintec at any time for further guidance.

Your first day

Are you ready for your first day of class? Check out your start date and where you need to be. You can also find useful information about studying at Wintec on our welcome page.

What you will need

Timetable information

All Wintec timetables are available online here.

How to find your way around

Campus maps can be found here.
Your course training provider will give you information about parking at the course venue.

Parking and bus information

Both the Rotokauri and City campuses have parking available - permits are required. Learn more about parking and find out about discounted bus services here.

He reo pōwhiri, your official welcome to Wintec

Tēnei te mihi mahana ki a koe e piki nei, e kake nei ki te Kuratini o Waikato.

You are warmly invited to attend the official welcome to Wintec for all new students, staff and whānau (family) at either our marae, Te Kōpū Mānia o Kirikiriroa or Rotokauri campus. The pōwhiri is a welcoming ceremony involving mihimihi (speeches), waiata (singing), and will conclude with kai timotimo (light refreshments). Please gather at the campus hubs, and a staff member will guide you through our pōwhiri.

Click here to find out when the next pōwhiri will be.

Paying for your study

Course-related costs

Additional information

Booklist

Purchasing textbooks

If your programme requires you to have access to textbooks, these can be purchased through a range of suppliers listed below:

    New Zealand-based suppliers

    General book suppliers

    First aid certificate

    Health status

    Uniform

    Equipment

    Clinical placement

    Prospectus (course guide)

    The Wintec Prospectus (otherwise known as a course guide) outlines everything you need to know about Wintec. It contains information about the Wintec campuses, student life, and the programmes that are on offer.

    Access your copy of the Wintec Prospectus

    The Wintec Prospectus (course guide) is available by downloading the file - click on the document below to access the file. Alternatively, to request a copy via email or the post, please complete the form below.

    Request an emailable or printed copy of the Prospectus

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