Overview
An investigation into the structure of the Goulburn Valley’s fruit industry workforce, including identification of key issues that are constraining businesses from finding and retaining the skilled employees they need.
Project Summary
The availability of an appropriately skilled workforce is increasingly recognised as a critical element for success in Australian agriculture, across the value chain. Constraints on workforce can be specific or systemic. Building on learnings from the Goulburn Valley Food Futures Innovation Cluster, this project will undertake assessment of the structure of the fruit industry workforce in the Goulburn Valley and identify systemic issues where research and action is needed to address current and emerging workforce-related constraints on industry success.
Project Duration
January 2016 – March 2017
Research Group Leader/Key contact
Michael Santhanam-Martin
Other Personnel
Dr Lisa Cowan, Agriculture Victoria
Cathy Mansfield, Agriculture Victoria
Contact details
Michael Santhanam-Martin
mpmartin@unimelb.edu.au
Partnership details
University of Melbourne and Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources Innovation Seed Fund for Horticulture Development
Publications
Santhanam-Martin, M; Cowan, L, Understanding Skilled Workforce Issues in the Goulburn Valley Fruit Industry, Understanding Skilled Workforce Issues in the Goulburn Valley Fruit Industry, 2017, pp. 1 - 68
Santhanam-Martin, Michael, and Lisa Cowan. 2018. "Making “middle managers”: Workforce development for agricultural industries in transition." 13th European IFSA Symposium, Mediterranean Agronomic Institute Of Chania (CIHEAM - MAICH), Greece, 1-5 July 2018, 1-5 July 2018