Employment in the regions is always a hot topic, with many people unemployed or forced to move away to find work. But there are opportunities available for those willing and able to take them.
In 2022, Queensland’s sugar industry suffered significant workforce shortages right across the sector.
Mill workers, farm hands, haul-out drivers, harvester operators, and truck drivers were all in short supply.
While some areas were more badly affected than others, the overall shortage of workers contributed to the longer season length and around one million tonnes of cane being left in the paddock, unharvested.
In an effort to prevent a repeat of this in 2023, CANEGROWERS has launched a campaign to attract more workers to the sugar industry ahead of this year’s crush, which is now a little over two months away.
The mainly social media campaign will target interstate workers, young travellers, grey nomads, and even qualified international job seekers.
But ideally, we would love to get more regional Queenslanders working in the industry, as these are the people most likely to stay long-term and be most passionate about the vitality of their region.
As part of our long-term strategy to encourage more young people into the industry, we have created curriculum-aligned lessons that will teach primary and secondary-aged students about the opportunities that exist within Queensland’s sugar industry.
But the fact remains, we need workers now!
