Assistance for Employers to Secure Your Workforce

Many businesses have relied on a regular pattern of seasonal workers and a stable, permanent workforce for many seasons. COVID-19 has impacted worker availability and supply chains. Growcom is committed to connecting farm businesses with appropriately skilled and trained workers.

GAP YEAR STUDENTS HEADED FOR HORTICULTURE

In April, Growcom announced a new campaign that will encourage young Australians to gap year in Queensland.

We have partnered with Australia’s largest digital platform for school leavers, Year13 on a campaign that will encourage young Australians to consider horticultural work as a gap year option.

The gap year campaign will promote opportunities in agriculture to the school leaver cohort, focusing on the adventure and personal development to be experienced by working in one of Australia’s most important industries.

This campaign is an investment towards developing new and sustainable workforce models for the industry, reducing the reliance on backpacker labour. Delivery of the project will be focused in Southern Queensland, Wide Bay, Sunshine Moreton, and Far North Queensland areas.

We are currently seeking expressions of interest from growers to become a Gap Year Employer of Choice. If you are interested, please contact Blair Brown on 0456 639 098 or email bbrown@growcom.com.au

View the Gap Year website: www.gapyearaus.com.au

FINDING WORKERS

Find information via the Queensland Government’s Pick Queensland website.
Sign up and use the free Harvest Trail jobs website to recruit workers
List vacancies for free or register your business on jobsearch.gov.au
Contact your local jobactive provider
Apply to participate in the Pacific Labour Scheme and Seasonal Worker Programme
Contact a licensed labour hire service provider
Advertising on social media, like Facebook and Twitter, and/or traditional, local methods like newspapers, community bulletin boards or roadside signs
Read about the Back to work in agriculture incentive scheme, a pilot scheme to encourage eligible Queenslanders to meet short-term labour shortage demands in agriculture.

QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURE WORKFORCE NETWORK

The Queensland Government’s Queensland Agriculture Workforce Network (QAWN) has officers across the state providing free advice on workforce services and initiatives to all agribusinesses, regardless of commodity or organisation membership.

If you are a Queensland agriculture employer and require additional advice on these services, you can visit the QAWN website to find a local officer or for more information.

AGRICULTURE COORDINATION OFFICERS

Queensland agriculture coordination officers are available to provide information and support to producers, the agriculture industry and local governments to manage coronavirus (COVID-19).

To contact an agriculture coordination officer, email info@daf.qld.gov.au or phone our customer service centre on 13 25 23.