A new initiative to build a skilled workforce for agricultural employers in the Barwon South West region
In response to severe and long-term agricultural and production horticulture workforce shortages in the region and declining uptake and completion of entry level agricultural programs among young workforce entrants, the AgFutures project has brought together a team of 6 expert partners, with two years of government funding, to design and deliver a fit for purpose on the job training program that meets the needs of the region’s employers.
Over two years, the AgFutures project will have four distinct stages, with dedicated support for young people and employers.
Why are we working in the Barwon South West region?
Barwon South West, as Victoria’s largest ‘Food & Fibre’ region, represents a key region for understanding and addressing these challenges. Food and fibre accounts for over 60% of the region’s GDP. The region produces over $2.3 billion in annual agricultural output and the region’s food and fibre sector accounts for 21.6% of the region’s jobs. However, the number of people employed in agriculture in the region has dropped from 19,000 in 2016 to 10,900 (42.6% decrease) in 2021 (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2021).
Why young people?
Despite high demand for an agricultural workforce in the Barwon South West region and sustained availability of entry level jobs, youth unemployment and under-employment remains a sustained issue. Young job seekers face a range of barriers to accessing work in the sector, such as access to transport and knowledge about range and types of work available.
Several programs and initiatives have already been implemented and trialled across Victoria and Australia, such as the AgCAREERSTART pilot targeting young people wanting to take a gap year and AgMove a $6000 financial incentive to get people to move into an agricultural role. However, these are short term fixes that do not adequately address the reasons why young people are not entering the agricultural sector.
Why vocational education and training?
Vocational education and training and foundational vocational pathways play a vital role and impact re-engagement for disengaged and early school leaving young people. Vocational education and training has also been highlighted in recent reports such as the National Agricultural Workforce Strategy as a way of addressing the workforce shortages in the sector. This report cites the need for better alignment between training and assessment with the expectations of employers and trailing alternative assessment and delivery models.
While vocational education and training is seen as a potential workforce solution, in the Barwon South West region between 2016 and 2021 only 1,351 young people (15-24 and not in school) enrolled in an agriculture related VET program. This has included a decline in the number of young people pursuing employment-based training pathways through agricultural apprenticeships and traineeships. The number of agricultural apprentices and trainees in the region declined from 138 in 2017 to just 96 in 2021.
Who are we partnering with?
Through working with communities across Australia and with community stakeholders in the Barwon South West region it is apparent that addressing youth unemployment requires a place-based response. This requires engaging with diverse stakeholders. In this project, the project partners are Brophy Family and Youth Services, South West TAFE, Food and Fibre Great South Coast, Dairy Australia, Skills Impact, and the Brotherhood of St. Laurence. Each of these partners are part of the agriculture, youth unemployment and training ecosystem and are invested in trialling an innovative approach that simultaneously addresses youth unemployment and agricultural labour shortages.
What is the aim of AgFutures?
The aim of AgFutures is to trial an innovative approach to vocational education and training that meets the needs of young people and employers. This will be achieved by co-designing with employers in the region a 6-month Foundational Capabilities Pathway that will teach young people the entry level technical skills needed across the sector. The aim of this process is to ensure young people learn the technical skills employers need. Stakeholders and employers involved in the co-design process will have a say in the course design and delivery. This Pathway will provide young people with the option of continuing onto a full qualification in agriculture or into continued employment in the sector.
By designing the Pathway with employers, it means that at the end of the project employers will have access to a pool of young people who have the skills that are in demand in the region. The project will engage up to 40 employers and up to 75 un/underemployed young people in the region.