Vinpro’s annual vineyard worker training is well known in the wine industry, with more than 5 000 people having honed their practical skills over the past eight years. The physical training is based on a DVD training package, of which the 10 modules are available online. These include pruning, vineyard establishment, vine development, canopy management, soil management, identification of diseases and pests, irrigation, fertilisation, wine grape harvesting and soil science.
The e-learning platform is made available to wine companies as a one-year license, and the cost varies depending on the number of employees registered per institution. The next round of licencing and training will take place in April and producers are urged to book their spots sooner rather than later to avoid potential disappointment when sessions fill up.
Interested farms or cellars can send an email to lms@winetech.co.za to book their spot. The Train the Trainer training sessions will be run on 18, 20 and 25 April and the costs are R8 000 for the annual licence and R2 000 per team leader that attends the training. During the training session a Vinpro expert will provide them with all the necessary information on how the system works, and how the team leaders and teams can utilise the training together in the most efficient way.
Team leaders can then upload their team members to the system, after which each of them will gain access to the new e-learning platform, launched in October last year, through their smart phone or computer and the vineyard teams can embark on their exciting new training journey. Team leaders therefore act as trainers who facilitate their own vineyard workers’ learning under the guidance of the Vinpro training team. Upon the successful completion of their training, the team leaders will be registered with the SA wine industry’s professional body, SAWIPB, as vineyard worker foremen, with special status and recognition.
In addition to the learning material and videos that teams can go through on their own or together, individuals can also complete short tests on each subsection within a module so that they and their team leader can keep track of their progress. Each person who successfully completes a module with an assessment above 80% receives an e-certificate that they can download and print or keep on their profile should they need it in the future.
For more information visit www.skillogical.com/winetech or contact Kachné Ross on tel 021 276 0450 or email kross@winetech.co.za.
