Category: Agri Labour

Australian universities have now officially kicked off for the year. While lots of your friends might be excited and ready to commit to another few long years of study, perhaps you’re just not feeling it. Maybe you’d planned to head overseas to work in the UK while backpacking around Europe but, we all know how that’s going right now…

If adventure is calling you but you’re not sure where to go or where to start, then working in agriculture could be exactly what you’re looking for!

From the stunning tropics of North Queensland to the wilds of Tasmania and everything in between, your choices are endless when it comes to working on farms and seeing Australia.

At Agri Labour Australia we are known for having the best jobs in agriculture. Our clients are checked to ensure they provide our candidates with the best possible working conditions, we make sure you will be part of a positive work culture and get a fair start with the right training and information to do your job well. As for money – we negotiate leading industry hourly rates and guarantee you’ll be paid on time every week.

Work options are flexible with short and medium contracts, or longer stints of up to six months in some places. Many of our clients have multiple sites across different states which means you can travel from site to site as the seasons peak and change.

Cotton harvest is one of the most exciting events on the Australian agriculture calendar. Living and working Queensland or NSW, cotton harvest offers great earning potential, incredible landscapes and a memorable time for those who get the chance to join in.

Learning on the job is all part of working in agriculture so in many cases, it’s not about having experience – it’s about commitment, reliability and having the right attitude. Here’s just some of the options you can choose from when backpacking and working in agriculture:

• Aquaculture attendants
• Fruit and vegetable picking
• Tree planting
• Harvests – grain, cotton, blueberry, tomato, almond
• Tractor and machinery operation
• Poultry
• Livestock
• Storage and handling
• General farm hand

There’s a lot to be said about making a difference and when you work in ag, you know are contributing to the food we eat and the clothes we wear. It’s a truly satisfying feeling!

We live, breath and love Australian agriculture and know people who spend some time in this incredible industry make lifelong friends and fantastic, long lasting memories. Check out our current positions and upcoming harvests today! 

With agriculture recruitment busier than ever and so many fantastic candidates joining the Agri Labour Australia (ALA) family, we thought it was time we introduced some of our team members to you.

We spend a lot of time choosing the right people to represent ALA. As a family owned business, we look for those who share the same strong values as ourselves. We are a genuine bunch of people, who are dedicated to helping candidates find rewarding employment while also making a real difference to the Australian agriculture industry.

One such person is Rhys Hensens (sometimes known as Smiley!), who is our latest Tasmanian branch recruit. Tasmanian born and bred, Rhys’s qualifications as a diesel mechanic and knowledge of heavy vehicles means that he understands the agriculture industry from a different perspective.

Equipped with various licences including forklift, Rhys is able to assist in assessing and training new candidates to help skill them up for new roles. His great attitude and easy going way with people make him a popular staff member with both colleagues and candidates.

Always ready to help and highly excitable when it comes to motorsport, here’s what else we know about Rhys ‘Smiley’ Hensens.

Name: Rhys Hensens

Role: Account Manager (Tasmania)

Office location: Devonport, Tasmania

Qualifications/trades: Cert 3 Heavy Road Transport, forklift and truck licence

What did you do before joining ALA?

I gained an apprenticeship as a diesel mechanic at a local truck workshop in the Devonport area straight after high school and spent five years there. After that, I moved to the local Toyota dealership in the light vehicle sector, and focused on Toyota and Isuzu training for almost seven years.

What drew you to working with ALA?

I enjoy seeing new places and learning the ‘nuts and bolts’ of how everything works. The agriculture industry certainly has plenty to learn and see! I have wanted to move off the tools full time, back to a hobby, and I thought this role would be an ideal way to help people. So far it has been very rewarding, and most people are appreciative of the effort we put in!

What skills (unique or otherwise) do you bring to your role?

Good question, I think there are some transferable skills from the mechanical world to this one. One thing I bring with me from my time with Toyota is the mindset of ‘Kaizen’ which means ‘continuous improvement’. I think it’s important to constantly evolve and I like to apply this to my professional and personal life.

Most recently, I have adopted the unofficial title of the ALA Fleet Maintenance Technician – getting my hands back on the tools is something I still enjoy!

What are you enjoying about working with ALA?

The workplace culture, everyone is so helpful, I am so appreciative!

I love the challenge of learning new things, so this role has certainly put me to the test. It is great to learn how the food we eat gets from paddock to plate, and it is great to be a part of that as well.

I also love to socialise – this job sees me meeting heaps of great new people!

Where did you grow up?  

East Devonport! Local boy through and through!

What are your hobbies and interests?

Big fan of motorsport, Pikes Peak Hill climb, Isle of Mann TT, Dakar rally, anything that gets sideways very fast. I also have a passion for 1970’s and 1980’s Toyotas.

Hobbies include all sorts of things – I enjoy gaming and music (not much good at playing, enthusiastic at listening!) working on my own cars to make them unique, woodwork and metal work is fast becoming a passion and spending time with my kids. Photography is awesome fun, specifically macro and landscape shots, the list goes on!

Do you have a secret talent?!

If I told you, would it still be a secret?

Favourite place in Australia and why?

Tassie! Best place on earth I think. Coastal NSW and the Great Ocean Road are pretty cool and I have always wanted to go to Paronella Park, the Daintree, and drive to the tip of Qld.

 

Considering a career in the amazing Tasmanian agriculture sector? Get in touch with us today on 1300 247 823.

In recent weeks there have been several stories about business operators doing the wrong thing by farm workers employed to do picking and other harvesting duties. While this is disappointing news, we thought it’s a good time to explore how you can best protect yourself when looking for employment in the Australian agriculture sector.

Connect with a Reputable Labour Hire Company

Of course, we have to say that working with Agri Labour Australia is always your best and safest option! We have closely screened our clients to make sure they are compliant to all industry standards for your work environment, duties and your pay.

We have great clients and rewarding work all over Australia, however, in the event that you might be sourcing farm work outside of ALA, here’s a few things you should be looking for to make sure you’re going to be working on a farm where you’ll be treated fairly:

• Training – you are shown your job and provided with all the necessary information so you can do your job to the best of your ability.
• Safety – when you start, you are advised of the safety and hygiene measures in place on the farm and what is expected from you to keep yourself and your teammates safe.
• Wages – being paid the correct rate with any included loadings/entitlements. Beware of operators who try to negotiate cash deals with you before you’ve even started.
• Respect – you and your teammates are communicated with in a respectful manner at all times.

There are many farm jobs across the country offering great incentives to good, hard working staff. From accommodation, meals, access to vehicles and unlimited internet access – a smart business will value their staff and treat them well.

With the Australian summer harvest season now in full swing, ALA has a range of fantastic job opportunities for both experienced farm workers and beginners. From the tropics of the Northern Territory and Queensland, to the outback of NSW, Victoria and Western Australia and down to the beautiful cooler climates of South Australia and Tasmania, we’ve got great agriculture roles to suit all levels.  All you need is a great attitude and a commitment to doing your best work!

If you’re travelling and keen to see the country while you work, we’ll try to keep connecting you to work in the places you’re heading. Alternatively, you can check out our website and view the extensive range of jobs and locations we have on offer and choose where you’d like to go.

Visit our Candidates page today for our current roles, upcoming harvests and much more!

When our company started in 2010, we were determined to create a real community within the Australian agriculture industry – one where our workers feel safe, valued and supported, and part of a wider family. To do this, we knew we had to prioritise building personal relationships between our recruiters and our candidates – it’s been ingrained in our ethos from the start. 

At Agri Labour Australia we make sure everyone sees their role as more than just a job, because it really is. Our recruiters are trained to go the extra mile for our candidates, and we encourage them to build genuine friendships – offering support throughout their placement and beyond.  

We also want our candidates to have a memorable and fun experience working for us – we know that, for many people, working in an agriculture role will be a time of life they never forget. That’s why we actively encourage team bonding, with supportive group chats led by our recruiters, and regular social meet-ups between them and candidates. 

Overall, we’re really proud of the community we’ve created at Agri Labour Australia. The positive feedback we receive from candidates is so important to us, and it’s helped shape the company we are today. We’ve put together a video that shows both candidates and recruiters talking about what it’s like to be part of our family here at ALA – we hope you enjoy it, and we’d love you to join us.

Australian agriculture is an exciting and growing sector offering diversity and endless options for school leavers or those simply looking for a new career pathway.

All over Australia, agriculture is booming and with the federal government committed to guide agriculture’s growth to $100 billion by 2030, it’s definitely an industry worth taking a closer look at.

From farm hands, irrigators and pen riders to genetic scientists, sales representatives and tradies, there’s an incredible variety of roles to choose from depending on your interests, skills and abilities.

For many people considering their job options, agriculture may not initially spring to mind. However, there’s a lot more to ag than dirt and dust (there can also be plenty of that!). Today’s farming offers excellent career development, role diversity, travel opportunities and incredible life experiences.

Technology

These days farmers are utilising smarter technology and new methods to get more from their land, improve outputs and to help make better use of their time. Technology also has a big impact on reducing some of the manual labour required on jobs, making some roles easier to do. And, although rural and regional areas are a distance from the major cities, once again technology links these places, enabling people to stay connected and up to date with whatever is happening across the world or at home any time.

Farming now sees drones, smart phone apps, GPS trackers, robots and other advancing technology to support many day to day activities – all making for some pretty interesting work when you get down to it!

Fast Career Advancement

Another major plus working within agriculture is the ability for good workers to quickly progress their careers without always needing qualifications. Learning on the job sees you gathering skills and information that are then applicable across a range of roles. Using the poultry industry as an example, it’s not unusual for someone to start as an egg collector/packer and then advance to a supervisor or manager within 18 months (performance based).

Smart business operators reward good workers with promotions and pay rises to ensure the knowledge stays within the business for better continuity and improved workplace culture.

Personal Reward

Like every industry, agriculture has its challenges. Australia’s dramatic landscape has seen us in the grip of drought, fires and floods but our farmers stay working because they love it. When you work in agriculture, you can be confident you are making a genuine contribution to a much bigger picture. Without farms, there’s no food and no textiles for clothing – every single job on every farm helps feed and clothe someone in the world, which is pretty impressive when you think about it.

Lifestyle

Rural and regional living offers the best of both worlds with many country towns offering a thriving community with great people, excellent sporting grounds, schools, adventure, incredible scenery and much cheaper accommodation.

Tens of thousands of people flock to Australia every year for seasonal work but there are many who choose to stay working in remote areas because they fall in love with the work, the communities and the people living in it.

Livestock, horticulture, Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG), cotton, grain, dairy, aquaculture, food production, poultry, medicinal crops and more – each of these industries is supported by thousands of people who each play a pivotal role in the Australian agriculture sector.

So, when you’re considering your career options, take the time to look at agriculture and see how you too, can be part of this amazing industry.

For Michelle Smith, Agri Labour Australia’s Northern States Regional Manager based in Goondiwindi, the global pandemic has seen a significant rise in women working across agriculture roles.

A country girl through and through, Michelle joined the Agri Labour Australia (ALA) team in 2019. Having been in the agriculture recruitment space since 2011 and enjoying a successful career running a mobile pre-school and delivering agriculture employment programs to indigenous young people across rural areas, Michelle was the perfect fit for ALA.

With her extensive knowledge of cotton, grain, livestock and horticulture operations, Michelle has been a constant figure across areas of rural and regional Queensland, delivering support, advice and critical staffing solutions to clients during COVID-19.

Michelle’s personal and professional networks are extensive and have been built on the back of her genuine love of the land, the people in it and a keen determination to see more women working in agriculture and supporting rural communities and businesses to succeed.

Michelle says, ‘Agriculture hasn’t stopped for a moment during COVID-19 and it’s been vital to keep working with my clients and reaching out to those agribusinesses who need assistance in finding the right staff to keep things moving.’

‘While COVID-19 restrictions were in place, I was constantly on the phone – checking in with people to see how they were doing. I was concerned about keeping those connections going but then pleasantly surprised at how willing people were to Zoom into meetings with me. ‘This adaptability is reflective of country people, however what has also been interesting during COVID-19, is the increase in applications and visibility of women in various roles across farms and ag sites.’

Michelle adds, ‘This is a positive step forward towards seeing more women building careers within the sector and subsequently moving into managerial and senior roles in years to come. Many people are more open to hiring women now – there’s so many incredible women in agriculture who are positive role models and great examples of just how beneficial our contribution is to agriculture as a whole.’

Michelle’s industry knowledge, honesty and reliability puts Agri Labour Australia’s clients at ease, as does her genuine love of connecting clients on the land with the right people for their business.

Michelle remains connected to the land outside work and can often be found pursuing her passion for polocrosse. She is Secretary of the Goondiwindi Polocrosse Club and has been awarded the Queensland Polocrosse Management Award for her contribution to the game.

Melissa Britt is a woman who loves challenges. Whether they are professional or personal, Melissa thrives on setting herself goals and doesn’t stop until she achieves them.

Since her appointment as Agri Labour Australia’s Tasmanian Area Manager two years ago, Melissa has been a welcome addition to the agricultural recruitment industry where she has been making inroads to building career pathways for Tasmanians.

At the onset of the global pandemic, Melissa began to focus on building a more structured approach in attracting local residents to the agriculture sector. This has resulted in her achieving real success in transitioning candidates from casual part-time roles, into permanent positions.

‘We have been working closely with Huon Aquaculture since December 2019 and since that time we’ve averaged two candidates per month moving into permanent roles. This is such a great result as it means increased operating continuity for Huon, job security for individuals and an added bonus of boosting our local economies,’ says Melissa.

Melissa adds, ‘With agriculture such a major contributor to Tasmania’s economy, securing a more stable workforce for agribusiness is essential – especially now that COVID-19 has so severely impacted on workforce numbers.

It doesn’t matter if it’s a small family owned farm or large operation, they all play a significant part in keeping our state going and I’m determined to be a key part in helping achieve that.’

A member of Tasmanian Women in Agriculture, an avid cyclist and runner, Melissa won the Shimano Expert Women Enduro World Series for mountain biking in 2019. Having just finished a target of running every day for 365 days, Melissa regularly pushes herself in various triathlons and recently completed a 163km charity ride for children with cancer.

Australian agriculture is an exciting and diverse industry, but like all workplaces it can present some significant dangers. From dangerous machinery and chemicals, to animals and now a global pandemic, hazards can present in any form.

This year’s National Safe Work Month theme, Work Health and Safety through COVID-19, acknowledges and reflects the wide-reaching impacts of COVID-19 on Australian businesses, employers and workers.

Workplaces have had to quickly adapt their practices and procedures to reduce the WHS risks arising from COVID-19 and to manage the psychological effects of the pandemic on workers.

Farm safety is changing

Like many workplaces, farms can be dangerous places and as a result, the Australian agriculture industry has been working hard to improve their safety statistics. Now, with the onset of COVID-19 many agribusinesses have been forced to review their WHS processes which is seeing some significant progress on the agriculture safety front.

Farm owners and managers must make sure that workers and other people on the farm are not exposed to risks to their health and safety. The best ways to protect workers include:

• Making assessments to eliminate hazards and minimise risks
• Specific COVID19 WHS strategies that include social distancing, regular cleaning and the implementation of stringent hygiene measures
• Select and regularly maintain the safest equipment
• Choose the safest chemicals and closely follow the manufacturers’ instructions
• Ensure all workers and visitors know about the risks on the farm and how to manage these
• Ensure workers have the skills to work safely in all their allocated tasks
• Closely supervise new and inexperienced workers
• Provide support to those who are required to quarantine or are feeling unwell
• Clear and transparent processes for documenting accidents
• A sound understanding of the Australian WHS standards

We are all responsible for safety

While farmers and business operators must take strict measures to protect their workers from COVID-19 and all other hazards, it’s also up to individuals to keep themselves and their co-workers safe at all times.

It’s imperative that staff follow company WHS procedures and apply common sense to situations when they arise. Managing COVID-19 is a serious practice and one that we all must maintain.

Agri Labour Australia has stringent COVID-19 safety processes and an excellent WHS page with a range of resources relating to risk assessments, work instructions and site safety inductions.

In addition to these downloads (available to both clients and candidates), here’s a few extra safety tips:

• Social distance, practice good hygiene and ensure you self-isolate if feeling unwell
• Always wear the correct PPE
• Know your worksite WHS requirements
• Check your workplace for any potential hazards
• Make sure the machinery you’re operating is in good working order
• Be aware of where your co-workers are
• Do not overload vehicles
• When working with animals keep a clear escape route
• Know where the first aid kit is located
• Know who your nominated safety officer is

Let’s work together to navigate WHS and COVID-19 and keep one another safe at all times.

For more information on WHS Through COVID-19 click here

The Grain Harvest is arguably Australia’s biggest annual agricultural event. From Central Queensland and NSW, down to Victoria, South Australia and across to WA – thousands of people all over the country take part in harvesting the labours of our hard working farmers.

Grain Harvest work is always extremely popular with backpackers, Working Visa Holders, Grey Nomads, residents, uni students and anyone else looking to make some great money. This year, we thought it would be interesting to get the real picture of what it’s like working in this exciting field.

Raido Kuiv and Veronica Trisberg have been part of the Agri Labour Australia (ALA) team since 2019, working on Grain Harvest in Victoria and in Queensland. Today, they share their grain story…

Time to Start

It’s 2:00pm and we are in our car heading to the grain site which is just five minutes away from our accommodation. It’s a pretty drive, with golden grainfields surrounding the roads on the way to work – our Port of Brisbane work site was also beautiful, with views out across Moreton Bay where you could see always ships coming and going.

On the Job

Dressed in shirts, shorts and steel cap boots, upon arrival, we clock in with our ID cards and put on our essential PPE of high vis vest, wide brim hat, gloves and sunglasses. It’s always busy and we hop straight in to the daily information talks that cover off what went well the day before, improvements that need to be made and what is happening on the site that day. Weather is always a big factor with how the site runs, especially if there are high winds and rain.

When we first started, we were in the sample stand using a vacuum probe to collect a sample from the incoming trucks which was then tested it for protein, moisture, weeds etc. After entering the data, the program advised which bunkers drivers needed to be directed to.

Hygiene is an important factor in this role and it was vital to keep the surfaces and floor clean so samples wouldn’t get contaminated. Our commitment was rewarded, and we progressed over to working in the bunkers. Greeting the trucks, you check the paperwork to make sure drivers are at the right place and then direct the truck onto the hopper to tip the grain.

Time for a Break

Having been at work for three hours, it’s time for ‘smoko’! It’s great to have a break and a catch up with other staff. Our co-workers on both sites were friendly and really nice to work with. We often socialise outside of work too – sometimes at the pub, chatting with the locals, farmers and some of the truck drivers we’d been taking grain from earlier on. It was always interesting learning about the ups and downs of the grain harvests and they also gave us plenty of tips on places to visit in the area. We enjoyed exploring and hiking in the national parks and having fun with friends, but after long shifts it was also pretty good to relax and prepare for another big day.

What’s to Love About the Grain Harvest?

When we initially started, everything was a unique and different experience, so getting to learn new skills was exciting. But, as time went on, it was the country grain sites, meeting the local farmers and seeing small towns together to make the harvest work that we really connected with.

The enormous amount of work that goes into Grain Harvest is something that everyone should experience. Things can change quickly and it can certainly be challenging at times in the heat and dust but if you’re adaptable it will be one of the best experiences in your life!

You meet interesting people from all over the world and form friendships that will be long lasting. Working alongside ‘salt of the earth’ people who make you appreciate the work they do every time you buy a loaf of bread is something that will stay with us forever.

Our advice to anyone considering the Grain Harvest? Don’t just think about joining ALA for the 2020 Grain Harvest – GO FOR IT!