Section A - Workplace profile

Could we start by getting an overview of this company and how it operates?

a. Main activities/crop etc

b. History of company

c. Ownership, structure

d. Role of contractors

e. Links with industry, other key bodies

f. Union role

g. Markets/customers

h. Quality management systems

i. International market requirements

What are this company's products?

Section B - Workforce profile

Can you give me an idea of who works for this company (on this site only)?

a. (asked about numbers, positions, permanent vs. seasonal, ethnic background, ESOL, people who returned each season)

Do you use a contractor for seasonal workers?

a. Who?

b. How long have you be using this contractor?

How many would you classify in these groups?

a. Students/backpackers

b. Inexperienced temporary seasonal

c. workers with low motivation

d. Seasonal workers returning each season

e. "Professional" seasonal workers (follow the work)

f. Migrant workers

What employment arrangements are in place?

a. Hours of work/shifts

b. Overtime arrangements

c. Pay rates

d. Union involvement/collective agreement

e. What process do you use to induct new employees into the company

Section C - Workplace issues and developments

What are the main issues you are facing at present in this company?

What critical areas of wastage/non compliance matter to you at this company?

What are you trying to do about these issues?

1How typical are these issues for this industry?

Very typical ≤ Reasonably typical ≤ Unusual ≤

1Are you planning any changes or new procedures in future seasons that will affect the way work is done?

1Looking to the next 5 years, are there any other issues you see?

Section D - Workplace training

1What training is done "on the job"

a. For seasonal workers

b. For others

1Have you had any training programmes on-site over the past year?

a. Over the past 3 years?

b. Internal or external trainers used?

1Have any of your workers been involved in any training programmes with training providers over the past year/the past 3 years?

1Can you tell me who provides training in this area? Do any of these providers specialise in foundation skills?

Section E - Foundation skills

1How are work instructions given - in writing, orally?

1What speaking and listening do employees need to do?

1What reading do people need to do?

2What writing do employees need to do - forms etc?

2What maths do employees need to do - weighing, measuring, and calculating?

2What technology do employees need to use?

2What decision making/problem solving activities do employees have to complete?

2How big an issue are these for your company?

Questions about team leaders and supervisors (for managers)

• How do supervisors/team leaders usually communicate with their staff?
• What reports and other documents do they have to write?
• What happens with health and safety/incident/accident reporting?
• What are the KPIs for supervisors and team leaders?
• How are supervisors/team leaders involved in managing the performance of staff?
• What technology do they have to use for their roles (e.g.: computers - email, spreadsheets, Word, company database, QMS, scanning?)
• Anything that team leaders/supervisors can't do that you think they should be able to do?

2What proportion of your workers in these categories do you think have significant difficulties?

2Are there any particular groups of your workers that you see as having the most difficulties?

Section F - Possible solutions

2If you were going to run a foundation skills programme for your workers, how would you go about doing it?

2What are the key factors to making it work (including people)?

2What would be the biggest obstacles to running it successfully?

3If you were to run a foundation skills programme in your company, what types of worker do you think would be most interested in doing it?

a. And the least interested?

3(If don't see direct training for seasonal workers as a priority) What channel or vehicle would you use to make sure they get some training?

Section G - Questions for supervisors/team leaders

3Tell me about literacy issues in your department/area and how they are showing up.

3What is it that people in your department/area can't do that you think they should be able to do.

a. Extent of multi-skilling.

b. Extent of job coverage.

c. Involvement with technology.

d. Involvement with training.

e. Completion of literacy tasks up to company standards e.g. forms filled in full, calculations all correct.

3What is one thing that you would change in your department that would make your job easier?

3Barriers to literacy skill development (could be organisational or personal).

3Reception by others of possible programme.

3Are you planning any changes or new procedures in future seasons that will affect the way work is done?

3Any skill needs you have yourself?

Section A: Questions for Norm Miller only

Can you explain what the seasonal workers' programme that you are involved with is all about?

Is it related to training agreements/unit standards/ITO?

What is the ITO learning from this programme?

Section B: Questions for any Horticulture ITO staff interviewed

What training is available throughout the country for workers in wine, kiwifruit, pipfruit industries at present?

a. for horticulture workers generally?

b. for seasonal workers?

What do you think about seasonal workers and training generally? Are there training issues? Are there ways it could be done?

What are the critical issues (e.g. wastage/non compliance) for your clients?

a. Pipfruit

b. kiwifruit

c. Wine

What are the opportunities and drawbacks for training in the pipfruit, grape and kiwifruit industries?

a. Pipfruit

b. Wine

c. Kiwifruit

Does the ITO have plans to do more with seasonal workers?

a. If so, what?

b. If not, do you know why not?

Do you think the Hort ITO sees foundation skills for the industry as a:

a. A major issue needing to be addressed ≤

b. A major issue, too difficult to address ≤

c. A minor issue ≤

d. Not an issue at all ≤

What specific types of foundation skills need to be addressed (in order of importance)?

a. Kiwifruit

b. Pipfruit

c. Wine

d. Permanent

e. Seasonal

Any other comments?