Good Job: Growing knowledge at work

“Sustainability is a massive thing for me personally and for the industry, says the Marlborough-based Cloudy Bay Vineyards Manager, who recently completed the New Zealand Diploma in Primary Industry Business Management through Primary Industry Training Organisation (ITO).

The diploma is a major achievement in Phillip’s 19-year viticulture career, and its sustainability module has sparked his interest in a Level 5 horticulture programme in wine growing, which he aims to do with a sustainable focus.

Phillip manages the Southern Valleys area for Cloudy Bay, which has a goal to eliminate herbicides from its Marlborough vineyards by 2027, excluding young vines. That means adopting best management practices, including under vine weeding and soil analysis for under vine management, he says. “We are going into the biggest challenge and that is working towards zero herbicide use.”

The Marlborough local started out in the industry via contract pruning as a teenager and has gained a long list of certificates in viticulture and wine growing while studying on the job. He took on the agribusiness management diploma to broaden his knowledge of running a business and relished the human resources and financial components of the course. “Because I lead the business decisions, I need to know how to manage staff and budgets. This has given me so much confidence in these areas to achieve better outcomes.”

“This is a large-scale operation but as a manager you manage it like it is your own business and your own money,” he says. “I’ve also learnt how to achieve a positive work culture and manage the styles that you encounter with staff members.” Phillip says the more he learns the more he wants to share his knowledge. “My passion is to teach what I know to others now. I am progressing to be the best I can possibly be and make what I do better.”

Primary ITO is now part of Te Pūkenga – the New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology: primaryito.ac.nz