There’s no doubt that animal welfare is at the forefront of every feedlot staff member’s mind, whether they be in the office, feed shed, maintenance shed or pens.
But can you say that you have the most up-to-date knowledge and skills for the management, assessment, auditing and on-the-job training of animal welfare within a feedlot operation?
If your answer to that question is ‘no’, then you should be completing ALFA’s Animal Welfare Officer certified training.
Being offered in March and April, the one-and-a-half-day training courses are being delivered by feedlot veterinarian Dr Paul Cusack and Feedlot Technical Services Officer Jeff House, and involves a combination of classroom and on-site (feedlot) practical work-based assignments followed by a post-course assessment process.
Upon successful completion of the training and post-training activities, participants will be issued with a Statement of Attainment from TAFE Queensland for the Animal Welfare Officer Skill Set, containing the following units of competency: AMPA2006 Apply animal welfare and handling requirements, and AMPA416 Oversee humane handling of animals.
Having completed the course in 2016, Rangers Valley Feedlot Operations Manager Andrew Slack said it was a valuable learning opportunity.
“The course is facilitated by those who are at the coalface of animal welfare in the Australian feedlot industry and the training provided will not only expand and improve the knowledge for attendees, but also provide individuals with analytical tools which will directly improve your feedlot’s animal welfare standards as a whole,” Andrew said.
“As lot feeders, we’re coming under more scrutiny as people want to know where their beef is coming from and for us to be able to have staff on site that have tertiary qualifications or government training is a big tick for any industry.
“Losing your social license would be detrimental to your business and to be able to show people that we care enough to put our staff through these training courses to make sure they’re up to date with new animal welfare information is paramount for your business and our industry.”
Andrew said the course also provides plenty of benefits at a personal level.
“It was a great opportunity to network with other feedlot staff who were at a similar stage in their feedlot career, and the course comes with a tertiary qualification which is a great addition to any resume,” he said.
“And it’s great to be able to get out and have a look at other feedlots. We spend a lot of time at our own yards, and we don’t get to see other innovations and things that are around, so it’s always good to go and visit other places.”
This year’s ALFA Animal Welfare Officer training courses are being delivered at:
· Condamine, QLD
· Oakey, QLD
· Emerald, QLD
· Narrandera, NSW
· Quirindi, NSW
· Geelong, VIC
· Burra, SA
Registrations close soon, so book your spot before time runs out.
If you need assistance or would like to contact ALFA regarding this training, please email events@feedlots.com.au or call (02) 9290 3700.
Thank you to the sponsors of this training: