The skills shortage has hit agriculture almost as hard as the extended drought according to BEST Employment, Goondiwindi.

Farmers need employees who have the skills and training essential to meet productivity demands.

These employees can be hard to find and farmers rarely have the time to train new staff.

However BEST Employment hopes it can stem the tide.

“The agricultural industry makes a major contribution to the economy of the area and is a major contributor responsible for sustaining growth in the Goondiwindi Regional Council,” BEST Employment site leader Tanya Gunn said.

“We’re very aware of the skills shortage and we’re attempting to address it,” she said.

BEST Employment has a new initiative involving local farmers and TAFE NSW to deliver a course that is designed to be industry specific.

Eligible clients will begin studies at TAFE NSW – Boggabilla Campus, be linked with a vocational placement with a local employer and will be supported by BEST Employment Ltd to assist with funding and monitoring progress of individual participants.

They’ll undertake a Certificate II in Agriculture, which will give participants the skills required for their vocational placement. The course runs for three days a week at TAFE and is designed to cover everything farmers in our area need their employees to know. This includes OH & S, environmental work practices, operating machinery and equipment for GPS, broadacre farming, cotton harvest operations, general tractor operation, identifying and marking livestock, basic welding, irrigation, controlling weeds and chemical certification.

“For this to be successful we need the assistance of local farmers in the Goondiwindi and Boggabilla area involved in the cotton, grain and cattle production,” said Tanya.

“We currently have several farmers interested in being involved in this initiative by offering work experience on their farms, but we need to get as many interested parties as we can on board to ensure that we can offer the wide range of experience required to work in this industry.”

BEST Employment is holding an Information Night on Wednesday, July 9 from 7pm at the BEST Employment Ltd. Office at 49 Callandoon Street, Goondiwindi.

For further information and to register your interest in being involved please contact Tanya Gunn, Site Leader or Promotions Officer Peta-Mary Sellar – BEST Employment Ltd. on 07 4671 4922.