New ag degrees at Massey
Changing skill demands and new job opportunities in the primary sector have prompted Massey University to create a new degree course and add a significant major into another in 2025.
The course can be used as either a stepping-stone to a career in the horticulture industry or as a way of enhancing horticulture knowledge.
The programme is designed to teach practical skills and allows learners to ask questions and be guided by one another’s experiences.
Jenny North, horticulture academic coordinator, says classes look at how to plan and execute a successful garden by learning several practical skills such as building your own compost and pruning and shaping trees.
“It’s a hands-on course,” North says.
“We focus a lot on organic practices, teaching how to make your own fertilizer and compost, and learn useful techniques for pruning and shaping trees, feeding the soil and encouraging biodiversity,” she says.
The New Zealand Certificate in Primary Industry Skills – Sustainable Horticulture is accepting direct applications.
Classes include one evening per week and every second Saturday and are based in Richmond, Nelson and Blenheim. The practical Saturday classes in Nelson and Richmond will be joined.
