The international demand for manuka honey and other beehive products has prompted Apiculture to become one of our fastest-growing primary industries.

 

The impact of this is a shortage of skilled workers which has led the Apiculture industry to be listed on New Zealand’s Immediate Skills Shortage List.  

 

Graduates of this new programme will be able to work as assistant beekeepers for commercial operators, as independent beekeepers with a small number of beehives or even develop their own businesses.  

 

Alternatively, you will be able to pathway into Level 4 Apiculture training, either as a Leading Hand or specialising in queen bee rearing.  

 

During this programme, you will gain the knowledge, skills, and confidence to manage your own beehives throughout a beekeeping season and be exposed to commercial apiarists in your local area. You will also complete an American Foulbrood (AFB) disease recognition course as part of this programme. 

 

This programme is delivered with blended learning, with two Saturday block courses per month at the Marlborough Campus and two Sunday block courses at the Richmond Campus. Please see the programme delivery block for more information.