Grow your career by entering an industry that is full of opportunity and variety; once you start learning you’ll never stop.
It has countless job prospects for workers to upskill and access on-the-job training to further their career in horticulture. While there are many harvesting opportunities on the Harvest Trail, there is also a range of other essential roles to be found on-farm and production line.
The Horticulture Industry
The horticulture sector is the third largest sector within Australian agriculture and comprises fruit, vegetables, nuts, flowers, turf and nursery products.
The industry is developing at a rapid rate as Australian and global consumers chase the best quality fresh produce.
With more than 10,500 businesses located in each state and territory nationally, and employing more than 130,000 people, the sector makes a significant contribution to the well-being and prosperity of people living in rural and regional Australia.
With a total farm gate value of $15.1 billion, the sector has a domestic and international reputation for producing quality produce, due to our high standards across all stages of the supply chain, from farm to consumer.
The horticulture sector is also forecast to be the fastest growing agricultural sector to 2030, with total growth of 33.1 per cent from 2017/18 to 2029/30. In the last five years alone, the average compound annual growth of horticulture in value terms has been 5.7 per cent, or a total of 32 per cent.
To continue to achieve this considerable growth AUSVEG recognises the industry needs quality people.
The sector needs more people who are well-trained, well-treated and ready to make a substantial contribution to this exciting industry.
The videos above showcase just some of the many exciting and creating career pathways in horticulture and some information on how to get there!
The majority of the employees we interviewed for these videos did not intend on a career in horticulture but discovered a passion for it after working on the farm. They have each come from various backgrounds and landed in horticulture through different avenues.
They each explain the dedicated-on job training opportunities which have allowed them to gain more skills and discover a career they are passionate about in horticulture.
For employers
The horticulture sector is a large, developed and diverse industry which employs a wide range of skilled people. While much of the media attention is focused on harvest labour within the sector, it is often forgotten that the industry requires a range of diverse skillsets to manage and operate their farm business.
To gain an understanding of these opportunities, AUSVEG has created the Grow Your Career video series to showcase the daily tasks, responsibilities, and pathways of current employees on Australian farms.
Many of these roles are in high demand in the horticulture sector. In recent years, the Australian Government Department of Home Affairs approved 31 horticulture industry occupations supporting growers to sponsor workers from overseas to fill these critical occupations. Under the Horticulture Industry Labour Agreement (HILA), producers can access the skilled and semi-skilled workers they need to manage their farm business.
However, the general preference of growers is to always employ locals first where possible, if they have the right skills and attitude. These videos aim to showcase the many varied career opportunities for local and overseas workers in the exciting $15 billion industry.
Click here to find out how the Horticulture Industry Labour Agreement can be used by Australian employers.
Harvest Trail tips and advice for harvest employers on advertising jobs, hiring and paying harvest workers, and providing a safe workplace.
