Queensland Department of Primary Industries’ Applethorpe Research Station
The Queensland Department of Primary Industries’ (DPI) Agency for Food and Fibre Sciences, Horticulture (AFFS, Horticulture) is the State’s lead agency for applied research and development in tropical and subtropical horticulture.
Through this agency the DPI works in partnership with Queensland’s horticulture sector to improve its economic, social and environmental sustainability by providing market driven scientific, technology and information-based solutions.
The DPI currently employs three New Apprentices at its Applethorpe Research Station. While one apprentice is school-based at Certificate Level II and attends work with the DPI one day a week, the others are full-time, one at Certificate Level II and one at Certificate Level III.
Working with AFFS, Horticulture provides an ideal learning environment and allows apprentices to gain knowledge and expertise from specialists working in the areas of entomology, pathology, physiology and plant breeding.
Originally part of CSIRO, the Applethorpe Research Station became part of the DPI in 1964 and since then has never looked back. Largely focussing on work in deciduous crops (mainly apples, stone fruit, grapes and some vegetables) the team at Applethorpe has taken on a series of state, national and international projects aimed at having positive impacts on;
· National breeding and genetics programs for superior varieties
· Sustainable production systems
· Supply chain management
New products and new markets
The Southern Queensland Institute of TAFE (SQIT) Stanthorpe Campus, as the Registered Training Organisation (RTO), provides training support in tractor driving and equipment operation, plant propagation and pruning techniques and theory in addition to the Agricultural Chemical Accreditation course.
DPI’s senior experimentalist and Applethorpe Research Station centre leader, Peter Nimmo, and SQIT workplace training officer, Doug Rigden, stressed the value of a close working relationship between DPI staff and the RTO in delivering training.
When addressing performance criteria as a result of the review process, the RTO had been able to suggest adjustments in the units of competency being undertaken by the New Apprentices to enhance their relevance to the research situation. This had highlighted the flexibility available within the New Apprenticeship system.
Karlee Boekholt, a former New Apprentice with the DPI, recently completed a Level III Certificate in Horticulture and has now gone on to pursue a teaching degree. From all accounts, Karlee was a dedicated trainee with a thirst for knowledge of the horticultural industry where her interests were in the field of nutrition and pest management programs.
David Rickard successfully completed a Level II Certificate in Horticulture and has now completed a Level III Certificate with the DPI at Applethorpe. He has recently accepted on offer from the University of Queensland, Gatton, to undertake external studies for a Bachelor of Applied Science in Horticulture.
New Apprentice David Rickard and Research Station leader Peter Nimmo
In line with DPI activities and his work with the qualified staff, David was able to take on modules such as nutrition and pest management programs and propagation plans. During his traineeship, David has been instrumental in constructing a 'mobile insect display' for specific crops. This allows the display to be transported to farms for the instant visual identification of insects found in various crops throughout the district.
Following an experiment originating from the USA, David tried the use of copper straps wrapped around the base of fruit trees to deter snails. The experiment was a success and will be followed up.
Peter Nimmo said that the DPI’s recruitment of employees as New Apprentices had been very successful.
“We’ve had a great working relationship with all the trainees. They’ve been reliable and very productive. It’s a very economical way of running research projects. And there are career options within the DPI and elsewhere for which the trainees will be very well qualified”.
He said that the Applethorpe Station was one of a number of DPI sites across the State but he believed that they had been one of the first to recruit New Apprentices in horticulture. This had followed the successful employment of an office trainee.
“We’ve been very pleased with the outcomes. I see the trainee arrangements as an option well worth considering for replication in other research stations”.
Liam Reidy (full-time) and Travis Evans (school-based) recently enrolled in a Certificate II in Horticulture with the Research Station and, undoubtedly, will reap the benefits of quality training, as did Karlee and David.