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    • What is the duration of the course?

      The DairySTART program is ten days total delivered over an eight week period. Each group of learning is split across the eight week period in the following breakdown:

          • Days 1&2 – Rearing Healthy Calves extension (face to face in local region)
          • Day 3 – Working Safely with Livestock extension (online)
          • Days 4&5 – Milking and Mastitis Management extension (face to face in local region)
          • Days 6-10 – Vocational Training Block (Tocal College, Hunter Valley)
        

      What is the cost of the course?

      The extension component of the DairySTART program is funded by Dairy Australia as part of it’s national extension program. There is no cost to levy paying farmers and their employees for this part of the DairySTART program. The Tocal College component of the program costs $1500 per student. The College works closely with Dairy NSW to identify and secure Government funded opportunities to subsidise this cost as much as possible. The availability of Government funding varies year on year and there may be occasions where the course cost is required to be covered by the student. Employers may wish to speak to their accountant about whether they can pay for this expense as a professional development activity and expense to the business. Dairy NSW and Tocal College will communicate closely with each student to identify funding opportunities upon registration.

      How can I apply for the course?

      You can apply by filling out the online application form available at the “Apply Here” tab on our course page.
       

      Is there any specific eligibility criteria for participants?

      This course is designed for people working on dairy farms who are new to the industry and undertaking milk harvesting, calf rearing or livestock husbandry activities as part of their role. It is recommended that you read the learning outcomes section under the “what’s it all about” tab on this page to identify whether this course is right for you. This is not a pre-employment course and all participants are required to be employed by a dairy farm business.

       

      Will there be any online sessions, or is the course entirely in-person?

      The extension component of this course which is the first five days is delivered in your local region or online. These five days will be split across a 4-6 week period.

      The vocational training component of the course which is the second five days is delivered at Tocal College, located at Paterson in the Hunter Valley. This will be delivered as a five day consecutive block.

       

      Can I participate if I have a full-time job or other commitments?

      Yes, the course is designed to accommodate individuals with various schedules however participants should speak to their employer prior to registering and confirm they are able to be released from their work to attend the learning activities.

      Participants should also consider any significant personal commitments which may impact their ability to participate effectively in the course. This commonly includes family or other study commitments such as University or VET.

       

      Are there any prerequisites for the course?

      No, there are not formal pre-requisites for the course however participants must be employed on a dairy farm and undertaking either milk harvesting, calf rearing or animal handling activities regularly as part of their role.

       

      Will there be any assessments or exams?

      The program assessment consists of self-paced online quizzes using the Tocal College ‘Cloud Assess’ portal and skills assessment as part of your training block at the College. There are no final exams.

       

      Is there a certificate of completion provided at the end of the course?

      Yes, participants who successfully complete the course and achieve competency in the three units will receive a Statement of Attainment from Tocal College. This can be used as evidence for recognition of prior learning for students who choose to continue their Traineeship in Certificate III Dairy Production.

       

      Is there a deadline for submitting the application?

      Dairy NSW has an open expression of interest registration for the upcoming intake which closes 01/05/2025.
       

      How will I be notified if my application is accepted?

      A representative of Dairy NSW will be in touch once you have registered to confirm your acceptance and advise next steps.