A32-Lancastar Panning, Saturday, April 22, 1995
DMA
Training Pa.DHIA
Technicians
DAVID BIGELOW
Training Coordinator
UNIVERSITY PARK (Centre
Co.) Pa. DHIA recently com
pleted another field training semi
nar on Feb. 17, and congratulations
go out to Kevin Rickert of Beaver
County, and Renee Miller, of
Westmoreland County, who com
pleted their studies.
For technicians, education is a
continuous process.
The field training seminar
recently completed by Rickert and
Miller is just one of several steps in
the training procedures for techni
cians at Pa.DHIA.
Before attending the five-day
field training seminar, all new
technicians receive initial training.
The initial training involves
working directly with an appointed
trainer from Pa.DHIA. All aspects
of the testing procedures are cov
ered. Also included is getting
familiar with the laptop computer.
The overview of responsibili
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ties, sample handling and equip
ment procedures are covered in
depth.
Pa.DHIA recognizes the impor
tance of on-the-farm training. This
involves the trainer being present
with the newly hired technician
and helping him learn how to per
form in a parlor herd, pipeline
herd, as well as a bucket herd.
At this point in the training pro
cess, practical situations such as
managing a circuit and recogniz
ing a rule infraction are covered.
Communication between both the
dairymen and the Pa.DHIA staff is
important for a successful cicuit,
therefore much time is spent learn
ing how to handle different situa
tions that may arise in the field.
As the trainee completes two
weeks of employment, he is put
through another phase of training.
This phase involves the trainer
traveling along with the technician
and evaluating his performance at
six different herds.
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After making the evaluation, the
trainer determines whether the
technician requires more funde
mental training.
The field training seminar fol
lows shortly after the two-week
evaluation, with time allowed in
between to provide the trainee with
the opportunity to be exposed to
different situations, and develop
questions.
This training process gives each
new technician the exposure they
need to gain more experience. This
also allows for communication
situations between Pa.DHIA staff
and the dairymen on the circuit.
The five-day field training semi
nar covers in-depth the Quick Bam
Sheet on the laptop computer. A
special emphasis is put on the cor
rect usage of the computer, as well
as having each technician become
familiar with each option on the
option screens.
The correct procedure for start
ing a new herd, and the correct pro
cedures in handling split herds is
also taught in this seminar.
Professionalism and also circuit
management is taught along with
many different examples on how
to handle different situations that
come up in the bam.
An in-depth study of feed and
forage is taught along with the dif
ferent formulas to calculate milk
price.
A special emphasis is placed on
the laptop computer at the field
training seminar with the techni
cian required to constantly use it.
Our main objective is to make
each technician familiar and com
fortable with the laptop compiler.
During the seminar, a tour d the
sample and meter lab is included,
to familiarize each technician with
the general operation of each
department
Learning how predicted trans-
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From the left, Kevin Rickert of Beaver County, and Renee
Miller, of Weatmoreland County, are two relatively new
Pa.DHIA technicians who completed their field training
seminar portion of training.
mitting abilities (PTAs) are read,
and interpreting the member’s
reports are a high goal to the
week. Each report that a dairymen
can receive is broken down and
coveted in-depth.
Handling in-state and out-of
state transfer cows and calculating
the records is covered in the train
ing so each technician understands
the transfer process.
Time is set aside for discussion
of the how to fill out the Hiefer
Management Report, and how to
fill out all reports.
At the end of the five-day semi
nar, a certification exam is given to
each technician. This exam allows
for each technician to decide if
they may need more assitance in
the future.
After a technician has been
employed for six months, the reg
ional Pa.DHIA manager does an
evaluation. The regional manager
conducts the evaluation with a visit
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to a farm while the technician is
performing testing. It is deter
mined then if the technician is cap
able of working with limited
supervision.
Furthermore, a yearly evalua
tion of each technician is con
ducted to determine the training
needs of a technician at the point
Part of the yearly evaluation is
requesting suggestions from the
dairymen within the technician’s
circuit This is done by giving each
member dairy farmer the oppor
tunity to fill out a questionnaire
about his/her technician.
This information, as well as
input from the regional manager,
can be helpful in determining each
technician’s particular training
needs, in the constant goal of pro
viding high quality
service to members^
For more information about
technician training, or any aspect
of Pa.DHIA, feel free to call
1-800-DHI-TEST.
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