Further and continuing education for dairy farmers

One of the fine things about the dairy trade is that it can be both a whole working life in itself and a springboard. When you're trained, you can stay in production and become really skilled — or you can build further with courses and education that open up more responsibility, technique, and development.

As a finished dairyman you can keep your skills sharp through further education targeted at the industry. There is for example a comprehensive further education course that strengthens you professionally in among other things chemistry microbiology English and problem-solving in dairy operations and is divided into modules over a couple of years. Such courses make you an even more versatile employee.

• 01Short, targeted courses in specific processes or facilities.
• 02Modular continuing education that strengthens professional and personal competences.
• 03Internal training when the dairy invests in new equipment or products.
• 04Courses in management if you want to take the step towards a team leader or foreman role.

If you want more theory, you can read further to become a process technologist specializing in dairy technology. It is a short higher education of about two years where your background as a dairy worker counts. As a process technologist many work with product development, planning, quality or as coordinators and managers in production.

If you get a taste for it, the path can lead all the way to dairy engineer. It is typically built on top of an education as a process technician or a bachelor in food technology, and your professional background can give credit along the way. It is a longer road with a lot of theory, but it is open to you who started with a journeyman certificate in hand.

“The journeyman's certificate is a door, not a wall — how far you go is up to you.”