School of Agriculture, Food and Ecosystem Sciences - Research Publications
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ItemMaking “middle managers”: workforce development for agricultural industries in transition(International Farming Systems Association, 2018)The availability of suitably skilled people is being increasingly recognised as a critical element for success in agriculture, yet this can be challenging to achieve. The perennial fruit industry in Australia’s Goulburn-Murray region is an example of this. In 2015, employers in this industry identified a shortage of people for ‘middle management’ roles as a particular current concern. This paper outlines the findings of a scoping study focused on developing a better understanding of the issues affecting the ability of fruit growers in this region to attract, retain and develop appropriately skilled ‘middle managers’. The study was informed by a ‘systemic’ approach to workforce development, according to which the availability of suitably-skilled workers arises from the dynamic interactions of elements in the workforce system. Based on structured interviews with the managers of twenty fruit growing businesses, we developed a typology of four typical workforce structures that are found in businesses of different sizes, including identification of the most common job titles and typical duties for these jobs. We discuss the approaches that employers used to recruit workers, including both internal and external recruitment pathways. The findings of this study allow us to begin identifying the range of entry points to jobs, and the career progression pathways, that currently exist for workers in the perennial fruit industry, and to identify opportunities for industry collective action to address current workforce challenges. As employed workers come to play increasingly important roles in family farm businesses, systemic understandings of workforce development will become increasingly important within the field of farming systems research.
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ItemUnderstanding Apple and Pear Growers' Climate Change Adaptation Decision-Making(The University of Melbourne, 2017-08-01)
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ItemMilestone Report 5.7 Barriers to Climate Change Adaptation in the Australian Tree Fruit Industry(Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Science, The University of Melbourne, 2015)
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ItemLearning from the Alpine Valleys Dairy Succession Project(Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, 2016)
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ItemUnderstanding Skilled Workforce Issues in the Goulburn Valley Fruit Industry(The University of Melbourne, 2017)