The PGW Academy is one of our many ‘Invest in our People’ strategic priority initiatives.

The PGW Academy, established in 2006, focuses on developing talent within the company. Since its inception more than 270 employees have completed the programme and have proceeded to enrich PGW, our clients’ businesses, and the wider agricultural and horticultural industries.

Each year approximately 20 PGW employees from around the country are selected to join the 12-month Academy programme, with the number of applicants far exceeding the places available.  Being selected for the Academy is a great career opportunity and a matter of pride for both the participants and their managers.

The Academy is one of our commitments to career development and extension for employees across the whole PGW business.

PGW’s CEO, Stephen Guerin says, “The Academy has always been something that I have been very proud of, and I look forward to watching each cohort develop themselves and their careers. This is a fantastic opportunity for participants to broaden their knowledge of the primary industry and get them out of their comfort zone. It has sparked graduates to specialise in new areas, move to new roles, and gain promotions both at PGW and in the wider industry."

“Participants from our Retail, Livestock, and Wool Trainee Programmes also take part in the Academy, which is a great example of our One PGW attitude. As a responsible employer we invest in our people, as we know we have a role in growing future leaders in the industry, and we are impressed by their achievements,” says Stephen.

The Academy programme is a partnership between PGW and the Primary Industry Training Organisation. Over the course of the year participants complete a Certificate in Rural Servicing (NZQA Level 4). The major component of this certificate is the PGW dissertation. The dissertation requires the participants to select a client, work with them to identify a production issue, develop an innovative solution for that issue, then model the effect the solution will have on the business over the next five years. At the end of the year participants are required to present their dissertation back to their peers and panel of expert judges. The programme culminates with graduation and an awards ceremony.

Dissertations from participants in recent years include modelling the impact of bidr® in helping farmers save costs in selling livestock during COVID-19 lockdowns, frost recovery programmes, and feed and pasture analysis comparisons.

PGW Technical Team Manager and Academy Convener, Milton Munro, sees agriculture becoming increasingly complex and complicated with further regulatory changes coming for the primary industries.  Milton believes, “The trusted advisor and rep of the future is going to need to be a problem solver who has the skills to be able to tap into innovative solutions. The Academy course and qualification is designed to turn participants into a primary industry trouble shooter.  It teaches them the skills required to identify production issues, develop innovative solutions, and to model, compare, and contrast other solutions to provide the best possible benefit to the farmer or grower.”

“I’ve been privileged to be a part of the Academy for the past ten years and I still continue to be amazed by it.  The positive change and growth in the participants over the course of the year is inspiring.  I see them grow in confidence and watch them develop deep networks across the business and build lasting friendships, there’s even been an Academy marriage!”

Early in the year the Academy cohort learns about the dry stock side of our business at one of the Lone Star Farms Group’s farming operations in Otago.  This year the Academy was hosted by The Wandle, a high producing finishing farm located near Middlemarch.  The Wandle is renowned for its omega-3 lamb and its high marbled beef.  Participants share in a mixture of practical training and theory across the farm over the course of two days.

The other Academy workshops cover a diverse range of topics, from horticulture to dairy and from livestock to farm and orchard management. These workshops are run by our Technical Team with engagement from some of PGW’s strategic partners such as Ballance Agri-Nutrients, Livestock Improvement Corporation, and Datamars.