Thursday, 08 August 2019 07:55

Youngsters the key to meet Oz farm labour needs

Written by 
David Nation. David Nation.

The Australian dairy industry will need 800 extra workers on farms by 2023.

And youngsters are the key to this, says Dairy Australia managing director Dr David Nation.

The workforce statistic aligns with a rise in farms with six or more employees from 4% to 20% by 2025, he says. Attracting skilled labour and career dairy workers is a priority for the industry, but getting and keeping workers on dairy farms is a big challenge.

“The evolution of the industry and the trend towards larger farms places greater demand on labour, but also provides opportunities for people interested in agriculture to forge a successful career,” said Nation.

“The need for skilled labour is also increasing with the use of technology, the need to monitor farm inputs, animal care, milk quality, managing environmental credentials and other aspects of dairy.”

Farmers are clear about needing to attract more young people to dairy, Nation says, commenting on farmers’ feedback on the Australian Dairy Plan, a five-year strategic plan for the industry.

He says the key to this is getting high schoolers to start thinking about dairy. At least 15,000 high schoolers in regional Australia have seen Dairy Australia’s ‘Cows Create Careers’ presentation on careers in dairy. 

“It’s important that we show the diversity of career pathways and highlight the opportunity to be successful working in dairy,” said Nation.

“And people who choose to develop skills or build on existing skills in dairy can study at TAFEs and with other registered training providers. Dairy Australia contributes to course development.”

Courses include milking, farm systems, animal care, farm management, etc.

And when young people have joined the industry they must be kept connected and supported via strong networks and skills building, Nation says.

“Over 2,500 young people have been able to connect through the Dairy Australia Young Dairy Network, providing access to training for both the technical and non-technical aspects of dairy,” he says.

“People are at the heart of our industry and are what make the industry a great one – attracting people to the industry by presenting the many career pathways and providing opportunity to build skills, is a continued priority.”

More like this

NZ vs Aussie beef

OPINION: Your old mate hears that at a recent China Business Summit, PM Christopher Luxon delivered a none-too-subtle "could try harder" report card on the red meat industry regarding its exports to China - particularly when compared to Australia.

Featured

Dr Mike Joy says sorry, escapes censure

Academic Dr Mike Joy and his employer, Victoria University of Wellington have apologised for his comments suggesting that dairy industry CEOs should be hanged for contributing towards nitrate poisoning of waterways.

People-first philosophy pays off

The team meeting at the Culverden Hotel was relaxed and open, despite being in the middle of calving when stress levels are at peak levels, especially in bitterly cold and wet conditions like today.

Farmer anger over Joy's social media post

A comment by outspoken academic Dr Mike Joy suggesting that dairy industry leaders should be hanged for nitrate contamination of drinking/groundwater has enraged farmers.

From Nelson to Dairy Research: Amy Toughey’s Journey

Driven by a lifelong passion for animals, Amy Toughey's journey from juggling three jobs with full-time study to working on cutting-edge dairy research trials shows what happens when hard work meets opportunity - and she's only just getting started.

National

Machinery & Products

JDLink Boost for NZ farms

Connectivity is widely recognised as one of the biggest challenges facing farmers, but it is now being overcome through the…

New generation Defender HD11

The all-new 2026 Can-Am Defender HD11 looks likely to raise the bar in the highly competitive side-by-side category.

» Latest Print Issues Online

Milking It

Buttery prize

OPINION: Westland Milk may have won the contract to supply butter to Costco NZ but Open Country Dairy is having…

Gene Bill rumours

OPINION: The Gene Technology Bill has divided the farming community with strong arguments on both the pros and cons of…

» Connect with Dairy News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter