Chairman John Baker

Launch of 2009 Environmental Scan

CEO Arthur Blewitt

AgriFood Skills Australia was established in May 2004 as one of 11 Industry Skills Councils to provide accurate industry intelligence on current and future skill needs and training requirements for the agrifood industry. 

AgriFood is a public company limited by guarantee with an industry-led board of nine directors and five industry advisory standing committees. Funding is provided under contract by the Australian Government through the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations.

Complementary to its vision of ‘sustainable economic growth of agrifood industries through world class capabilities’, AgriFood’s role is to:

• provide industry intelligence and advice to industry, governments and Skills Australia on workforce development, skills and labour needs – which includes an annual Environmental Scan on the factors shaping and impacting on agrifood industry workforce development;
• provide independent skills, workforce, education and training needs advice to enterprises, matching identified needs with best-practice solutions (including facilitating PPP training places); 
• advise governments on VET reform and related policy impediments;
• continuously improve Training Packages and their implementation in delivering job-ready people and enhancing enterprise capability.

AgriFood is a highly visible participant in a broad range of national engagement and networking activities.  These activities underpin research and work to enhance industry productivity and participation in the workforce.

The company has achieved wide recognition from industry, its industry stakeholder organisations and government as the primary national adviser on these priority issues. Key agrifood stakeholder groups include the five broad industry groups, their producers and processors, national and state peak bodies, companies and corporate consortia, training providers and brokers, other industry skills councils and the three tiers of government.

The company has invested significant resources in capturing data and information to validate enterprise cases for critical training support from government to:

• Integrate capacity building and core skill development into agrifood’s broader workforce development activities
• Promote the use of skills sets and unit clusters as an effective means of providing entry to and sustainable pathways within agrifood industry sectors
• Provide support for registered training organisations (RTOs) to implement effective strategies addressing their core skills in training and assessment practices

The company’s name was changed to AgriFood Skills Australia from AgriFood Industry Skills Council at the annual general meeting of the company on Monday 17th November 2008. The change of name highlighted the company’s new and expanded charter, its national remit and to simplify the company name.

In undertaking these roles, AgriFood draws on widespread industry networks and active stakeholder engagement and works in collaboration with other Industry Skills Councils, training providers and brokers, companies and producers as well as all three tiers of government.