VegNET – Gippsland’s commitment to increase workforce capability has been in overdrive in 2021, with forums taking place to highlight the opportunities available. It has also been working with Food & Fibre Gippsland’s employment program to connect horticultural businesses and trainees, as well as supporting school leavers in their new role. VegNET – Gippsland Regional Development Officer Bonnie Dawson reports.

Food & Fibre Gippsland’s employment program (Connect2Employment), Central Queensland University’s Raising Aspirations in Careers and Education – Gippsland (RACE – Gippsland) program, TAFE Gippsland and Agriculture Victoria, recently banded together to support Gippsland’s growers in attracting, retaining and looking after their employees.

Initially, an in-person forum was held in Sale and the second event was moved online. It’s now available to view as a recording and will be summarised into a factsheet.

The forum was also used as an opportunity to collaborate with the Victorian Farmers Federation’s (VFF) ‘Making Our Farms Safer’ project. John Darcy represented the initiative, and he spoke about the important topics of workplace manslaughter and farm safety.

John’s presentation reinforced the importance of farm safety for everyone – but particularly business owners, company directors and officers, to which Worksafe’s new Workplace Manslaughter Laws now apply. The group also heard about VFF’s Making Our Farms Safer team that can provide free farm safety consults for individual businesses to establish and review their OH&S processes.

John Darcy from the Victoria Farmers Federation speaks to forum attendees about the ‘Making Our Farms Safer’ project. Images courtesy of Bonnie Dawson.

Workforce focus

The forum was an opportunity for Agriculture Victoria to provide an update about the support available to growers in the lead-up to what is expected to be another challenging year for seasonal workforce requirements.

Programs specifically available in Gippsland include the RACE program, which is designed to raise the awareness and aspirations of young people in Gippsland to pursue a career in agriculture by connecting school students and teachers with industry. Food & Fibre Gippsland is a partner of the program and has already successfully established connections between the program and some of Gippsland’s largest growers, who will be hosting teachers for professional development sessions in September.

TAFE Gippsland Head of Rural Sciences, Forestry and Maritime, Bruce Macpherson presented about the traineeships and short courses that the TAFE can offer industry, while Food & Fibre Gippsland’s Connect to Employment (C2E) Program Manager Julie Tuhi gave an overview about how the program can support both growers and jobseekers to find appropriate employment.

For further information or to be put in contact with the aforementioned programs, please contact VegNET – Gippsland Regional Development Officer Bonnie Dawson on the details below.

Paving a pathway for school leavers

A week after finishing year 12 in late 2020, Tilly Gunther was employed as a trainee at Bulmer Farms, one of Australia’s leading baby leaf growers based in East Gippsland’s Lindenow Valley.

Tilly’s leadership and communication skills impressed, and Bulmer Farms Human Resources Manager Karen Grant was quick to offer her a traineeship in the quality department.

Tilly Gunther.

“We are always interested in talented, enthusiastic young people – and we love it when we can offer local school leavers the option to pursue a career in the region,” Karen says.

One of the many great things about entering the industry via a traineeship is the trainee gains a strong insight into other areas of the business, while acquiring some valuable transferrable skills.

The traineeship is offered in collaboration with Food & Fibre Gippsland’s Connect 2 Employment (C2E) Program, which is supported by the State Government’s $619.4 million Jobs Victoria initiative.

Gaining hands-on knowledge

Over an 18-month tenure, Tilly will learn about every element of the extensive quality systems that ensure the best produce leaves the Lindenow packing shed.

While other teenagers might be sleeping in, Tilly is an early starter – she is with the Bulmer Farms’ quality team on-site at 5am, ready to test the fresh picked harvest and prepare all the necessary documentation to accompany each dispatch of boxed baby leaf.

“I’m finished by 1pm most days, meaning I’ve got the time and space to be able to do what I want for the rest of the day – it’s fantastic,” Tilly says.

To support trainees, C2E can cover the costs of all uniforms, safety gear and work boots, as well as fund any external training courses identified by the employer as beneficial for the new employee.

“We’re here to support trainees in many ways. Saving them money on the workwear necessities is a big thing, and we work hand-in-hand with the employer to keep track of how they’re settling into the workplace,” C2E Program Manager Julie Tuhi says.

“This access to an external mentor is really valuable – it all contributes to maximising their job satisfaction and success, which ultimately leads to the opportunity for long-term employment.”

Further information

Traineeships are offered in the horticulture industry at various times throughout the year, and can cover a variety of areas, including production, maintenance and growing operations.

If you are a Gippsland grower and would like to explore traineeship opportunities, please get in touch with Julie via email at julie.tuhi@foodandfibregippsland.com.au or call 0448 880 824.

Tilly is one of 27 workers from four of Gippsland’s largest vegetable growers – Bulmer Farms, Flavorite, Schreurs and Sons, and Hussey & Co – who have been profiled in Food & Fibre Gippsland’s This Is My Job video series, which has been shared across social media. The videos can be found here.

Find out more

Please contact VegNET – Gippsland Regional Development Officer Bonnie Dawson from Food and Fibre Gippsland on 0407 683 938 or email bonnie.dawson@foodandfibregippsland.com.au.

VegNET – Gippsland is a strategic levy investment under the Hort Innovation Vegetable Fund.

This project has been funded by Hort Innovation using the vegetable research and development levy and contributions from the Australian Government.

Project Number: VG19001