South-east Queensland agriculture industries will soon have a new Agriculture Workforce Officer to help farm businesses in the region to find, attract and retain workers.
Growcom Workforce Development Manager & Agriculture Workforce Officer for southern Queensland, Karen George, said Growcom has appointed Craig Dillion to service agriculture employers across south-east Queensland to alleviate any stress they may face when trying to source new staff members.
"Agriculture is a volatile industry, with seasonal changes highly influencing workface needs, and it can be an uphill battle trying to promote its benefits to jobseekers,” Ms George said.
”South-East QLD is actually an agricultural powerhouse and there was clearly a need for additional resources in this region so Growcom, through the Queensland Government funded QAWN project, has appointed a new Agriculture Workforce Officer for south-east Queensland, Craig Dillon, to help agricultural employers find the right workers.
“Mr Dillon has extensive experience in the recruitment sector and has worked on and off with farmers for more than a decade.”
“Craig’s rural beginnings, having grown up in a little farming country town on the Murray, have put him in the perfect position to understand farmers and where they come from.”
“As a business development manager, I’ve dealt with a wide variety of businesses from entry level right through to white collar and worked closely with tradesmen and recruitment companies to match them to suitably skilled positions,” Mr Dillon said.
“I have also worked with a lot of the small crop farms around Caboolture, helping them to source staff and meet their labour needs, so I know how tough and challenging it can be.”
A fitter and turner by trade, having left his tools long behind him, Mr Dillon is enthusiastic to take what he’s learnt in recruitment and apply it to agriculture.
“I’m mostly looking forward to assisting the growers and getting to know them on a personal level to find out how I can make their lives a bit easier,” he said.
Mr Dillon begins his role as south-east Queensland’s Agriculture Workforce Officer in early October.
The Queensland Agriculture Workforce Network (QAWN) is an industry-led rural jobs initiative funded by the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries (DAF).
Growcom works closely with QAWN to increase awareness of agriculture as a viable career pathway and promote the importance of a sustainable workforce.
For more information;
Karen George
Tel: +61 0408 135 003