More highly skilled workers are needed if the food industry is to capitalise on growth opportunities, a study released today (24th October) has found.
An Australian Workforce and Productivity Agency's Food and beverage workforce study found the agrifood industry, including both agriculture production and food processing, was in transition and needed to attract skilled workers to grow new export markets.
The study highlighted a co-ordinated approach to workforce development was needed as there was no single body vested with the responsibility for setting an industry workforce development agenda.
It found it had resulted in duplication and inefficiencies and meant available resources were not being prioritised in the most effective way.
It also highlight that industry advice to government on skills and workforce issues was fragmented.
Australian Workforce and Productivity Agency chairman Philip Bullock said while Australia's agriculture output continued to rise and contribute significantly to export, the industry faced "significant challenges''.
"Agriculture remains one of Australia's most productive industries and food and beverage processing is now our largest manufacturing sector in terms of employment,'' Mr Bullock said.
"However, the reality is that with limited potential to grow domestic markets, the future lies in us finding new customers in rapidly growing and highly competitive Asian markets.
He said the ongoing restructure of the industry resulting in larger farms and the growing use of new technologies in the agriculture and food processing sectors was also requiring workers to have higher level skills.
The industry employs more than 550,000 workers and generates about 4 per cent of Australia's GDP and 11.5 per cent of the value of exports.
"Growing skills will require attention and focus as, currently, less than 40 per cent of workers in agriculture and fishing, and 45 per cent in food processing, have a post-school qualification, compared to Australia's all-industries average of 62 per cent,'' he said.
National Farmers' Federation chief executive Matt Linnegar said his organisation had worked closely with the agency on developing of the report and its recommendations.
"People are the agricultural sector's greatest resource, and ensuring we have a strong and sustainable workforce into the future is a priority, not only for the NFF and farmers, but also for the wider agricultural sector,'' Mr Linnegar said.
Agrifood Skills Australia chief executive Arthur Blewitt said he was encouraged to see "the food industry, training providers and government policy makers recognising how intimately skills and industry competiveness are linked''.
Source: Weekly Times Now, 24 October 2013
