A sophisticated job matching tool has launched to attract skilled labour and showcase the incredible career opportunities in the Queensland agricultural sector.
Ag Jobs Queensland is a dedicated industry jobs platform connecting employers from the agricultural sector across the state with prospective employees.
Through the platform, businesses are able to advertise their vacant positions, promote their jobs through social media and create an “Employer Profile“ to showcase their business as an employer of choice.
Job seekers wanting to work in what is arguably the most exciting industry in Queensland can also use the platform to upload their resume and connect with interested employers across the agricultural supply chain.
Queensland Farmers’ Federation (QFF) developed Ag Jobs Queensland in response to feedback from farmers state-wide that attracting a skilled workforce remained one of the critical challenges facing their enterprises.
“The outlook for the Queensland agriculture sector is positive with global demand for our top-quality food, fibre and foliage continuing to grow,“ QFF CEO Jo Sheppard said.
“While this is good news for our economy and regional communities, the sector needs to be able to attract, retain and grow an appropriate workforce in order to realise this growth.
“The entire agricultural sector and supply chain are feeling the impact of the workforce shortage and it is placing downward pressure on productivity, efficiencies and profitability and upward pressure on the cost of production.”
In 2020-21, the total value of Queensland’s primary industries – agriculture, fisheries, forestry and food – was estimated at more than $23 billion.
In the five years leading up to the same time period, the total number of people employed in the sector grew 26.2 per cent compared with 9.1pc for the state’s overall employment.
Ms Sheppard said while the need for workers in the agriculture sector was growing, the traditional composition of agricultural and farming businesses was also evolving with a range of new skills in demand.
“It is an exciting time to work in the Queensland agricultural sector,” she said.
“Businesses are innovating to meet opportunities and challenges and are seeking talent to fill diverse roles within their operations, so no matter where your interests lie, there will no doubt be a career pathway for you in Queensland agriculture.”
Ms Sheppard said she expected to see increased future demand for skills in many areas including technology and data, automation, research and development, environmental sustainability and biosecurity, markets and trade, climate change, people management, marketing, communications and risk management.
“So, if you are an employer seeking to fill a role or a prospective employee wanting to work in Queensland agriculture, register on the platform now,” Ms Sheppard said.
“We are also looking to partner with organisations who want to contribute to building a strong future for agriculture by becoming ‘Champions of Ag’.
“If this sounds like you, we would love to hear from you.”
Ag Jobs Queensland can be viewed here: www.agjobsqueensland.com.au.
