Educational Videos

Language Services and Support

Many farms throughout the State have hired Spanish-speaking employees and more farms are following suit. The need for educational services in Spanish is growing daily. QMPS is one of the first organizations in the State to begin offering a comprehensive service aimed at improving milk quality on farms employing Spanish-speaking workers.

Background

The language barrier between producers and the Spanish speaking labor force can limit a farm's ability to implement consistent SOPs and limit communication concerning the needs of their employees. Instituting a regular program of training can help build the relationship between worker and producer, improve the understanding of SOPs, increase consistency in procedures, and allow for adjustments to the ever present changes on the farm.

Services

QMPS offers bilingual education. This service is proposed as an on-going relationship with the farm so we get to know your staff, your farm, and your specific needs. Dr. Paula Ospina, the bilingual program coordinator, is a veterinarian, epidemiologist and native Spanish speaker. As part of this education program, we focus on milker training by constructing or re-constructing SOPs and providing feed-back on procedures and worker comments.  

Procedural drift resulting from employees who may not understand the reasons certain tasks are performed might go unnoticed and may lead to negative consequences.

During training, we focus on not only explaining how things are done but why things are done a certain way. Understanding why helps workers better understand their jobs and responsibilities.  

Additional Training and Services

The Spanish Language Trainings are not limited to the milking parlor. We can work with your veterinarian to help explain and train on other SOPs used on the farm.

A "new-hire" training manual is very popular. This usually consists of a PowerPoint presentation with video and pictures of your farm that explains the tasks required. This is an ideal way to ensure that the new employees understand what is expected of them and how and why to do tasks.

We also offer hourly tutorials, verbal or written translations, and intercultural management.

• Milker Training
• Translation
• Dairy Topics
• New Hire Packet
• Follow-up
• Safety Trainings

  • Hazard Communication training covers chemical labels, Material Safety data Sheets (MSDS), and use of personal protective equipment (PPE).

  • Animal Handling training Covers medicines, needle sticks, injuries, cattle restraint, bull dangers, and personal hygiene.

  • Foodborne pathogen training is designed to teach dairy farm workers how they can help reduce the spread of foodborne pathogens on the farms.

• Summer Dairy Institute

• Internships

• Training Events

• Publications

How does it work?

Call QMPS to set up a meeting or e-mail qmps@cornell.edu. There is usually a pre-meeting phone consultation. We like to review your SOPs or get started on creating them. We also discuss areas of concern and set up the first on-farm training. At the first visit we can address any immediate concerns and schedule a follow-up meeting to review or cover new material. Scheduling is flexible to allow you to set up a time when all of your employees can attend. All training and translation costs depend on the amount of time needed to prepare and the amount of training required.

Tel: 607.255-8202
Fax: 607.253.4000
Toll free: 877-645-5522
E-mail: qmps@cornell.edu