Skilling a seasonal workforce: A way forward for rural regions

• As a group, seasonal workers tend to fall through the formal training net.

• Collaborative arrangements among regional stakeholders such as local government, development bodies, industry bodies, major employers, recruitment and labour market agencies, training providers and unions have the potential to put in place programs and initiatives to address the learning and training needs of seasonal workers, their supervisors and employers.

• Training must be integrated into industry and community processes. Planning needs to take place at a regional level to ensure that training is beneficial to and accepted by seasonal workers and employers. Only then can we be reasonably confident that those at the margins of the 'standard' workforce, including seasonal workers, will have easy access to the formal Australian VET system.

• A collaborative, integrated regional approach to training must be matched by an integrated approach in education and training, employment, recruitment, community development and industry policies.

Many industries in rural and regional Australia employ casually on a seasonal basis, notably tourism and hospitality, agriculture, horticulture, aquaculture, and food processing. Primary industry and hospitality alone employ 14.5% of all workers outside the capital cities, compared to 5.3% in the capital cities (Australian Bureau of Statistics 2001 Census unpublished data). Many of the most disadvantaged and vulnerable regions in Australia rely heavily on industries associated with seasonal work.

As a group, seasonal workers tend to fall through the formal training net. The temporary nature of their work and the traditional understanding that seasonal work is unskilled has provided little impetus for workers, employers, providers or government to consider formal training necessary. Training helps individual seasonal workers, who must be readily able to find work in a number of different industries in different seasons. A pool of trained workers is a benefit to employers and industries with seasonal labour needs, and regions in which the industries with seasonal labour demands are located. Consumer demand for quality service and produce and an increasing focus on occupational health and safety (OH&S), along with rising workers' compensation insurance premiums, have created an interest in training among employers of seasonal labour.

This study is a qualitative in-depth investigation in two regions — Circular Head, Tasmania, and Wide Bay—Burnett, Queensland — with data from a variety of sources: employees, employers and stakeholders such as vocational education and training (VET) providers, recruitment agencies, local government, state government personnel based in regional areas, industry associations, and unions.

The Wide Bay—Burnett region used a more extensive set of skills in agricultural and food processing for seasonal work. Circular Head had a wider variety of seasonal industries. These differences can be accounted for by climatic differences (leading to more sustained seasonal work in Queensland), larger properties in Queensland than in Tasmania, the more extensive, better organised and cohesive regional industry bodies in Queensland and the larger number of seasonal workers in Queensland.

Five different groups were identified as needing skills for seasonal work: temporary workers motivated by income (for example, students and backpackers); less experienced temporary seasonal workers with a low motivation; aspiring seasonal workers; career seasonal workers; and employers of seasonal workers. All groups required occupational health and safety and technical skills, although career seasonal workers only required updates. Those with low motivation required attitudinal and generic skills for the job such as reliability and teamwork. Supervisors were drawn from career seasonal workers and would benefit from basic training and assessment, conflict resolution, and basic front line management skills. Employers required skills in people management, planning and negotiating training, and basic training and assessment. All groups would benefit from recognition of current competencies. Aspiring seasonal workers, career seasonal workers and employers of seasonal workers in particular would benefit from formal training that is recognised by the VET system.

The study found that for seasonal workers most learning is on the job, much of it is informal, as needed and non-accredited. Experienced workers are highly valued by employers and they will often support inexperienced workers. However, employers expect to have to train workers on the job, as staff turnover is high, and each enterprise has different requirements. In regional areas, many large businesses see the benefits of training for their whole workforce but access the formal VET system only for permanent workers. Small businesses are unlikely to access the formal VET system; instead they tend to rely on informal on-the-job training for seasonal workers.

Barriers to appropriate formal and informal training in the two sites were identified as:

• inappropriate training delivery, including delivery of a standard package; delivery of a whole qualification; and lack of industry- or enterprise-specific customisation

• barriers to access: for workers — costs of training, transport and childcare costs; for all stakeholders, including workers — difficulties of identifying and accessing formal training, especially from sources outside the region; for employers and other stakeholders — systemic funding arrangements that make it difficult for enterprises and other interested organisations, such as recruitment and job placement agencies, to resource training for seasonal workers

• limited understanding by employers and other regional stakeholders of how structured on-the-job training can be used flexibly to enhance outcomes for enterprises and seasonal workers

• lack of career pathways in seasonal work and payment by piece rates

• limited learning-to-learn skills and literacy/numeracy skills of seasonal workers in some cases.

Enhancers of effective formal training in the two sites were identified as:

• collaborative arrangements among regional stakeholders to address the training needs of seasonal workers, their supervisors and employers that encourage the development of generic, transferable skills, accompanied by strong external networks

• on-the-job customised delivery leading to improved work practices, facilitated by providers with a deep knowledge of the industry, the employer(s) and the workers; selection of individual competencies as appropriate; flexible delivery; and recognition of current competence

• external business and legislative factors, including product quality assurance processes, especially those incorporating feedback from customers; and legislative requirements, such as for occupational health and safety

• payment by wages and pay levels structured to training

• employer training orientation, fostered by membership of relevant industry association with an interest in training, and training participation by employers/managers or supervisors of seasonal workers

• subsidising costs incurred by employers in providing training.

Collaborative arrangements among regional stakeholders — such as local government, development bodies, industry bodies, major employers, recruitment and labour market agencies — training providers and unions have the potential to put in place programs and initiatives to address the learning and training needs of seasonal workers, their supervisors and employers. This study has shown that training must be integrated into industry and community processes and planning at a regional level to ensure that training is beneficial to and accepted by seasonal workers, and employers. Only then can we be reasonably confident that those at the margins of the 'standard' workforce, including seasonal workers, will have easy access to the formal Australian VET system.

Training for seasonal workers must be customised to take account of the local context and the nature of the region and its industries. In particular, the nature of the industries, the needs and characteristics of the businesses in the region, and the characteristics of the seasonal workers who work in the region must be considered in the design of training.

There is a diverse array of funding sources that can be used to facilitate training for seasonal work; however, expertise in accessing funding is required. Regions with strong networking arrangements are best placed to tap these funding sources.

A collaborative, integrated regional approach to training must be matched by an integrated approach in education and training, employment, recruitment, community development and industry policies. Regions should plan together to meet regional training needs by, for example:

• identifying and involving all stakeholder groups within the region, including local government, development bodies, industry bodies, major employers, recruitment and labour market agencies, training providers and unions

• identifying and involving external stakeholders who may be state industry bodies, state and federal government agencies and training providers who do, or could, deliver training in the region

• establishing a forum for sharing information to encourage cross-sectoral linkages and sharing of resources

• collecting data on training needs of seasonal workers, employers, industries and the region

• identifying internal and external resources, including funding sources

• building a vision and a plan for regional training

• putting the plan into action and evaluating progress regularly.

The apparent importance of regional collaborations and partnerships in facilitating structured, effective training that is linked to the national VET system suggests it is important to understand how such collaborations are initiated and sustained. Further research is required into the ways in which effective collaborations operate in planning and negotiating training. The role of community and external agents in partnerships deserves further exploration.