Membership body Adelaide Hills Wine Region (AHWR) has secured funding worth $213, 500 from the Department of Primary Industries and Regions (PIRSA) to deliver multiple training programs across various disciplines to its members.

The program is entitled ‘Elevating the Hills: Business Resilience Building in the Adelaide Hills Wine Region’ and is jointly funded by the South Australian and Australian Governments under Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements as part of the Local Economic Recovery Program.

The initiative will be rolled out from September 2021 to June 2022 to support upskilling of those working within wineries and grape-growers in wake of the bushfires of 2019/20 that significantly impacted many members.

The program comprises five training and development initiatives to build resilience and capability within the region, targeting a suite of different skills.

The funding will heavily subsidise course fees, with 107 people from across the region’s various disciplines eligible to access upskilling in their respective field.

There will be a thorough application process for each training element to ensure all members can fairly access the options, with both AHWR board members and delivery partners assessing submissions.

“This funding will make a huge difference to our members,” Adelaide Hills Wine president Jared Stringer said.

“There are still many wineries and grape-growers recovering from the Cudlee Creek fire back in summer 2019 and these training and development opportunities will ensure they are well equipped in their recovery.

“Whether it’s Cellar Door training, winemaking skills or business acumen, the variety of these training initiatives will empower our members to strengthen their proposition, in terms of visitation, product quality, maximising sales and employee engagement. We look forward to seeing the results of the training come into fruition over the next few years.”

The five initiatives are:

• Advanced Viticulture Course – delivered by Australian Wine Research Institute (AWRI)- to support 20 people to further their understanding of the latest techniques and technology in viticulture, with a focus on innovation and sustainability
• Advanced Wine Assessment course – delivered by AWRI to support two individuals with considerable formal wine tasting experience, to develop sensory analysis capabilities and language which will facilitate participation in wine judging at an elite level.
• Wine & Spirit Education Trust Level 2 and Level 3 – delivered by TAFE SA. 45 participants in total will be eligible for these two courses which develop comprehensive product knowledge and tasting skills, with a particular focus on Adelaide Hills’ wines.
• Wine Business and Tourism Advanced Executive Program – a series of scheduled lectures and workshops delivered by the Adelaide Business School to 20 participants to build business and personal capability and capacity.
• Wine Service Skills – 20 participants will be supported to develop enhanced front of house and cellar door customer service skills – delivered by TAFE SA.

The training will be eligible only for members of the Adelaide Hills Wine Region, who will be contacted directly in due course regarding the application process.

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