The Department of Agriculture and Fisheries is extending the Queensland Agriculture Workforce Network (QAWN) until late 2022.
The Department said QAWN, formed in 2016, was a regional network of industry-based agricultural workforce officers who worked directly with producers and operators across the supply chain to assist in addressing recruitment and skilling issues.
Minister for Agricultural Industry Development and Fisheries, Mark Furner said the seven QAWN officers provided advice on workforce services and initiatives to all agribusinesses.
“The officers have been especially important during the COVID-19 response,” Mr Furner said.
“They’ve initiated workforce attraction workshops, coordinated the placement and support of refugee and migrant workers, provided job readiness training for school students to take up seasonal work during the holidays and promoted seasonal work and a regional lifestyle to young people.”
He said as the COVID-19 Economic Recovery Plan continued, connecting industry with the workers they needed would be vital for farmers.
“In September 2020, we allocated an additional $350,000 to the existing QAWN network to increase its reach and develop local responses to seasonal labour shortages,” Mr Furner said.
“Since then the QAWN has supported over 320 businesses, provided training outcomes for more than 370 people and supported the creation of more than 700 jobs.”
Mr Furner said the QAWN was a free service available to any agribusiness with operations in Queensland.