Industry insights on skills needs
The following two Industry Reference Committees produced the Skills Forecasts directly associated with this industry cluster:
These forecasts point out that the industry has opportunity for growth, given exponential population growth and increasing demand for food. This opportunity is boosted further by government policies, such as free trade agreements, which facilitate access to international markets, such as the Asia-Pacific region.
In order to balance the ramifications of this population growth with the environmental impacts which result, ethical and sustainable approaches to agriculture and food production are necessary.
Technological advances have resulted in more automated, efficient and sustainable food, beverage and pharmaceutical processing; and a reduction of waste and water use. And rapidly rising energy prices have led to the identification of alternative energy sources.
Furthermore, there are trends towards healthier food options as well as ‘grab and go’ and ‘easy to eat’ options, and technological improvements have allowed for enhancement of the nutritional value of products produced by the industry.
Therapeutic goods reforms are also expected to encourage innovation in the Pharmaceutical industry, in order to provide patients with faster access to lifesaving, innovative medicines.
And the Meat Processing industry will be expected to maintain and enhance on its international reputation as a leader in animal health, welfare and ethical standards.
However, at the same time challenges to the industry also exist. With the exception of the Meat Processing sector, this industry has an ageing workforce, which presents challenges for recruitment and skill development. Compounding this, changes to the way the industry operates will require more demanding job roles and consequently, high level skills will be required.
Complementing these trends, the 2017 CSIRO Futures Report for Food and Agribusiness summarises the five megatrends that are affecting the Food and Agribusiness industry globally:
- a less predictable planet
- health on the mind
- choosy customers
- one world
- smarter food chains.
The report finds that in addition to deep technical knowledge, skills are required in understanding supply chains, relationship management and digital platforms. Both structured on-the-job training and tertiary education play a role in obtaining these skills.
Furthermore, among priorities listed in the Food and Agribusiness Growth Centre’s Sector Competitiveness Plan of 2017 is to ‘upskill the workforce on innovation, business models, market channels and supply chains, both nationally and internationally’(p. 10).
