Employing seasonal labour for Western Australia's grain industry

Published: 26 Oct 2016

As primary production in Western Australia has evolved and technology has progressed, the need for full-time equivalent (FTE) staff has continued to decline, and that smaller pool of workers is needed to do increasingly sophisticated tasks.

Key points

  • Technology has reduced the demand for labour on the land; however, there will always be a need for low-skilled, seasonal workers.
  • The Working Holiday Visa Scheme provides short-stay workers, however, it is not a perfect system.
  • Attracting, training and retaining seasonal workers (aka backpackers) is a challenge that WA grain growers will continue to face.
  • Effective communication and easily repeatable induction processes are critical.

Want to link to this publication?

Use https://grdc.com.au/SeasonalLabourWA

GRDC Project Code ORM00017

Region West

Region: West

GRDC Project Code: ORM1509-001SAX,