Aimee McCutcheon, Agriculture Victoria, Industry Development Manager
A pilot study on the fruit industry skilled workforce will take place in the Goulburn Valley over the next 12 months.
The Goulburn Valley is a major producer of processed and fresh fruit, generating approximately $2.14 billion in value in 2013.
The fruit industry, and other horticultural industries, needs to attract and retain an appropriately skilled workforce, which helps drive industry innovation, growth and capture competitive market demands. However, the availability of skilled workers, on and off-farm, willing to fill the range of roles that are needed, is currently perceived to be a major challenge across the horticulture sector.
This region has recently completed regional workforce strategies and is well placed to look further into more complex workforce development issues, than simply the identification of a gap between labour demand and supply.
The aim of this study, a joint effort between Agriculture Victoria and the University of Melbourne, is to investigate issues that are affecting the ability of the fruit industry in the Goulburn Valley to attract and retain skilled workers through industry research interviews. This includes fruit growers, packers, cool stores, resellers, advisors and others who work within the horticulture supply chain.
From employers, the project wants to understand the number and different types of roles they have in their businesses for skilled workers, and their recent experiences, and any difficulties they have had, in recruiting people to these roles.
From employees, the project wants to learn about the career path they have followed in the fruit industry, and their experiences of the career opportunities available. The results of this research will help the fruit industry identify further action that may be needed to plan for the future skilled workforce needs of the industry.
This project is funded through the Innovation Seed Fund, which is a joint initiative between the University of Melbourne and Agriculture Victoria, for innovative horticulture research projects.
If you are an employer or employee in the Goulburn Valley fruit industry (Strathbogie, Moira, Campaspe and Greater Shepparton shires) and are interested in participating in a research interview (about one hour) or would like further information please contact:
- Dr Michael Santhanam-Martin, The Univeristy of Melbourne, 03 83449692,
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. - Ms Aimee McCutcheon, Agriculture Victoria, 03 5833 5308,
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