South West TAFE Agriculture teaching education manager Bec Toleman said the Victorian Government had expanded access to free TAFE courses in agriculture to meet the demand for employees.
“The government has recognised the ongoing skills shortage in agriculture and is now offering a free pathway, starting with a Certificate II in Agriculture and continuing with Certificate III and then either the dairy production certificate or the Certificate IV,” Bec said.
“As long as you’ve finished one agricultural course, you can enrol into the next and keep moving through for free, which we’ve never done before.”
The free TAFE offer has encouraged South West TAFE to expand its agriculture staff and course offering.
“We’ve got more staff on board and have courses in Hamilton, Colac, Warrnambool and Glenormiston,” Bec said.
South West TAFE is planning to introduce a Certificate IV in Agriculture in Colac next year and a Certificate III in Hamilton and is also offering a series of compliance short courses, including use of tractors, quad bikes, front end loaders and a free chemical handling course.
“The government is trying to support the industry by putting as many options as possible on the table and we’re expanding to meet that by adding more staff across all campuses and new courses to better service the area,” Bec said.
A $2 million project at the Glenormiston campus will add to the SWTAFE agricultural program, with more personal development opportunities for teachers and potential to expand into school camps.
WestVic Dairy regional manager and executive officer Lindsay Ferguson welcomed the increase in courses and said workforce shortages remained a key issue in the south-west dairy industry and one high on the list of strategic priorities for WestVic Dairy.
“Skilled staff are essential for the running of a successful farm business and while backpackers can fill a gap, farms much prefer to employ skilled local staff that have commitment and are permanent,” Lindsay said.
“WestVic Dairy has staff members dedicated to helping people discover and develop their careers in the industry and any schemes that can add to the pool of skilled staff are welcomed.”
Bec said there had been a lot of interest in the Free TAFE agricultural certificates, but farmers were crying out for more workers.
“We’re finding a lot of farms that are short staffed across the board,” she said.
“The need for skilled workers is probably at one of the highest levels it has ever been and we haven’t fully recovered after the border closures during COVID.
“I’m constantly getting calls from farmers asking if I’ve got people they can employ.”
There are also financial incentives on offer for farmers who put students into traineeships through South West TAFE.
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