Developing the skills of Maori in agriculture

June 2012

Neil Shaw and Jill Hartles from Venture Group presented findings from research into the literacy and numeracy needs of Northland Maori farm employees to the recent Industry Training Federations’ Literacy Forum in Wellington.

The research project, which was funded by AKO Aotearoa, showed that all employees who took part in the assessment demonstrated significant knowledge gaps across numeracy, listening, reading, writing, financial and digital literacy.

None of the employees who participated in this research met the literacy demands of a Level 4 agricultural qualification, which is a pre-requisite to career development in the industry. 

For example, workers wanting to progress in farming need to be able to write farm reports, interpret technical documents, draw up budgets and develop business plans. 

Based on this research, the project identified some practical challenges to be overcome if farm employees are to advance into farm management positions. You can view the presentation here.