Dairy processing
New Zealand is the world’s biggest exporter of dairy products, producing 21 billion litres of milk for processing each year.
Job overview
Opportunities for those wanting to build a career in dairy processing continues to grow with New Zealand’s dairy industry prospering, new businesses starting and existing businesses expanding.
While dairy products are the country’s largest export earner, there are also companies who process milk into products, such as butter, cheese and ice cream, for sale across New Zealand. The Dairy Processing industry employs over 13,000 people.
A career in the dairy processing industry can offer many opportunities both across New Zealand and across the world.
Skills and experience
- Safety-conscious
- Excellent attention for detail
- Able to follow instructions
- Enjoys working in a team
- Can identify and solve problems
- Good communication skills
News from our learners and employers
With a decade of dairy manufacturing experience under his belt, Primary ITO sector manager Alwyn Redhead is passionate about supporting the industry to develop and upskill its workforce.
Eighteen-year-old Pieter Van Beek was delighted to win the Dairy Trainee of the Year Award in front of 620 people at the New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards in Tauranga on 10 May.
Primary ITO has launched a new online training programme to provide dairy processing operators with a greater understanding of the equipment they are working on, which could prevent costly downtime in an export market worth $25.7 billion annually*.
Ninety-four percent of Primary ITO learners are satisfied with their experience of training with us, according to results from the most recent learner experience survey in late 2024.