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A Boost For The Wine IndustryA new national wine industry-training program, designed for people working at the local and regional level, will begin in Gippsland in February. By Department of Primary Industries - 19th January 2007 - Back to News It is a three day course aimed at encouraging people to take control following a difficult period for the wine industry with recent smoke damage from fires, frost last October and the long-term issue of product oversupply.
Gippsland winemaker Andrew Gromotka, from Lucinda Estate, believes this initiative is an important opportunity for all people involved in the wine industry to develop their businesses and the region.
"The course will both strengthen the individual leadership skills of participants and assist in fostering long-term networks to drive future growth for the region," Mr Gromotka said.
"The content will focus on sharing knowledge between both the speakers and participants with a level of flexibility to deal with participants’ needs.
"Delivered in an informal workshop style, I would encourage all to participate – the broader the background of participants the better for the group," Mr Gromotka said.
Department of Primary Industries (DPI) Grapecheque Facilitator, Cynthia Mahoney, said consultation with the Gippsland wine industry gave the project team an excellent insight into the type of training needed.
"We wanted to know from those working in Gippsland, such as winemakers like Andrew Gromotka, what skills they needed to be better prepared to stay in the industry long-term," Ms Mahoney said.
"The response led us to focus on training that would build people’s leadership skills and encourage them to take on key roles within the business or local area."
"As a positive step toward their future, we expect many will take up this opportunity to receive excellent training specific to their individual needs," Ms Mahoney said.
The program is funded by the Grape and Wine Research and Development Corporation, as part of a wider initiative to build the next generation of wine industry leaders, as well as the Bracks Government, FarmBis and other agencies.
Prepared by Rural Training Initiatives (RTI), the course will feature experienced speakers and trainers. The course is $99 per day for FarmBis eligible participants and will be run in Traralgon on February 16 and 23 and May 4 from 8.30am to 5.30pm. For a course brochure or to register please contact Jill Briggs, RTI, on (02) 6035 7284 or Cynthia Mahoney, DPI, on (03) 9296 4628.
Source: http://gippsland.com/ Published by: news@gippsland.com

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