Job Seekers gain insights and training in AgWork Tours pilot
16/4/2018
The AgWork Tour Pilot was designed to help people who are looking for a long-term future in agriculture by providing them with first-hand experience in the field.
The AgWork Tour Pilot was designed to help people who are looking for a long-term future in agriculture by providing them with first-hand experience in the field.The project is an initiative of the Queensland Agriculture Workforce Network (QAWN). It aims to give job seekers the skills and information they need to succeed in a career in the agriculture industry. The AgWork Tour also provides job seekers with a link to potential employers who are seeking employees.
Training and inductions by FarmReady Pty Ltd were held with participants touring Withcott Seedlings and Rugby Farms.
Karen George, project manager at QAWN, explained that this project came about as a result of their research findings. They had a study that showed that there was a high number of refugees in the region that were looking for long-term careers in the agricultural sector.
The first Agwork group tour included refugees. They were able to gain insight into two of the most significant operations in the Valley.
"This is part of connecting those people to employers that are looking for job-seekers ... at Withcott (Seedlings) they've met everybody from the CEO to the operations manager,” Mrs George said.
"They've had a tour around, so they've got an excellent understanding of what the jobs are.
"The majority of people (on tour) have come from rural backgrounds and farms, and some owned their farms and machinery companies. It's about connecting that experience (to those looking for job-seekers).”
Janne Dipple, FarmReady Pty Ltd director, hoped that each participant was able to see a defined path to their dream job in agriculture. Most of the participants were not clear about workplace law in Australia and were not clear about their rights either the project hopes to clear up some of that information for them as well.
There are some tours for the future that will be advertised to different groups with each group being consisted of people that have the same types of needs.
"We happen to be concentrating on migrants and new Australians for this tour,” Mrs Dipple said.
"But there's no reason why we couldn't do the same thing for students, for Australians, for young people, for older people, for whoever.”
Mrs Dipple notes that an essential part of the process is the attitude of the participants. They have to be eager to learn and be happy to stay in a base job and see that farming can be their career.
Participants must not just want a job but need to be dedicated to displaying a positive attitude towards the available opportunities. It is the right attitude that will ensure that these tours will be a success for those that participate in them.
For more information visit the Farm Ready Hub website
