26 results

Profiling and tracking change in Australia's seafood workforce: establishing a baseline workforce dataset

Project number: 2022-034
Project Status:
Current
Budget expenditure: $259,342.00
Principal Investigator: Stephane M. Mahuteau
Organisation: University of Adelaide
Project start/end date: 30 Sep 2022 - 28 Aug 2025
Contact:
FRDC
TAGS
Workforce
Social Science
Social Science
Human Dimensions Research
Data

Need

The project developed to address the call for EOI recognises that the seafood workforce is diverse and operates within a changing natural, technological, and socioeconomic environment, providing unique challenges and opportunities. The seafood workforce also, however, operates within the wider Australian economy where rural and regional employment, small-medium business operations, and increasing value-adding opportunities are common topics of interest. The project proposes to provide a comprehensive assessment of the current data framework, make recommendations for improving it, and develop a baseline workforce dataset. The focus will be on the potential to use existing sources of data (particularly administrative data collected by government institutions and data that is required to be collected) and how and when those need to be effectively complemented with additional data. Administrative data are confidential and access limited as is the variety of seafood industry data often collected. Accessing administrative data is explicitly part of this proposal and identifying the sources of, and the type of data available, from industry surveys.

Objectives

1. To establish a baseline workforce dataset to address the lack of accessible, accurate workforce data
2. To identify how to overcome the shortcomings of official classifications to better align data information with how the seafood industry and its workforce operate.
3. To determine how using whole of population statistical data may provide a more accurate picture of the seafood industry workforce
4. To use available literature and expert input to provide an understanding of the true diversity of employment in the seafood sector.
5. To undertake a comprehensive stock-take of the relevant current data sources recording information on the seafood industry workforce.
6. To undertake a comprehensive analysis of the existing data sources and investigate the usefulness of large administrative data such as BLADE/MADIP.
7. To closely involve seafood industry participants through an effective stakeholder engagement strategy and promote a co-design element to the project
8. To provide recommendations to address data gaps and improve the utility of current data, and support the FRDC in meeting the objectives of its Capability and Capacity Building Strategy.

Fishing and Aquaculture Workforce Capability Framework

Project number: 2022-153
Project Status:
Completed
Budget expenditure: $127,997.50
Principal Investigator: Deborah C. Prentice
Organisation: RM Consulting Group (RMCG)
Project start/end date: 2 May 2023 - 7 Mar 2024
Contact:
FRDC
TAGS
Workforce
Leadership
Capacity Building

Need

The objective of this foundational work is to collaborate with industry to produce a Fishing and Aquaculture Workforce Capability Framework. The Framework will be used by fishing and aquaculture sectors / communities for workforce planning and career mapping. It will support a more strategic and consistent approach to workforce planning. This in turn, will enable industry to build its capacity through better understanding of capability needs.

In addition to the universal challenges associated with a tight labour market (e.g. attracting people, barriers to entry, addressing skills needs), the industry is operating in a changing environment. Other challenges and opportunities for the fishing and aquaculture sectors include:
• Adapting to climate change
• Biosecurity
• Managing resources efficiently
• Meeting sustainability standards / social license to operate
• Moving to a circular economy
• Managing global supply chains (developing traceability, addressing counterfeit)
• Competing with other proteins
• New markets through free trade agreements
• Adopting digital technology, and;
• Attracting and retaining people to drive responses to changes that impact on the F&A community.

The AgriFood Supply Chain Resilience report (KPMG, 2022) identified ‘labour supply, wellbeing and succession’ as one of the significant stresses for seafood supply chains. Other significant stresses were weather and climate change, cold chain and freight space availability, sustainability and social licence, pests and disease and market access.

Fish Forever (2030 vision for Australia’s fishing and aquaculture community) highlights opportunities for the F&A community and contains outcomes under each of the following missions:
1. Growth for enduring prosperity
2. Best practices and production systems
3. A culture that is inclusive and forward thinking
4. Equitable and secure resource access
5. Society and consumers trust, respect and value.

This project will identify the capability needs (current and future) to address these challenges and opportunities. Further, it will support industry, to attract and retain people and to provide pathways to build capability. Sectors will be better informed as to how to address capability needs.

Addressing these needs will ensure industry is better equipped to respond to changes, challenges and opportunities that impact the fishing and aquaculture communities. The fishing and aquaculture map (FRDC website) highlights the “complex systems behind Indigenous, commercial and recreational fishing and aquaculture in Australia and how the elements are connected”. It also highlights how issues or events in one part of the system can have impacts on other sectors. Therefore, industry needs to be prepared for changes.

This project will engage with all key F&A sectors to ensure the capability framework is industry-driven and collectively owned. In addition, the project approach is designed to utilise existing sector/industry plans and not replace existing frameworks. RMCG will work collaboratively with industry.

Objectives

1. Development of a fit-for-purpose capability framework for the fisheries and aquaculture industries and individual organisations
2. Engagement and collaboration with key industry stakeholders to enable adoption and use of the framework
3. Establishment of a shared process and terminology for talking about capabilities throughout the fishing and aquaculture industry
4. Mapped critical capabilities highlighting gaps and opportunities for collaborative action

Final report

Authors: Deborah Prentice Sasha Brightman Natasha Frazer and Anne-Maree Boland
Final Report • 2024-06-01 • 14.11 MB
2022-153-DLD.pdf

Summary

In 2023 RM Consulting Group (RMCG) was contracted by FRDC to develop a Fisheries and Aquaculture (F&A) Workforce Capability Framework (hereafter referred to as the Framework) that would be used as a high-level, standardised tool across all F&A sectors. The FRDC and other groups in leadership roles for Australia’s F&A sectors have highlighted workforce development as a key opportunity and priority.
We have created a comprehensive Framework that captures the enablers (the internal and external systems and culture that either help or hinder employees and businesses to thrive and support growth in people’s capability) and the people capabilities (knowledge, skills, abilities and behaviours) that should be considered as a starting point in F&A workforce planning.
The intention of this project was to collaborate with industry to produce a F&A Workforce Capability Framework. This has been achieved, as demonstrated through the many and diverse stakeholders engaged and the attached Framework. The stakeholders interviewed and engaged had some interest and/or experience in workforce issues so were able to add value to the development of the Framework. They will also be able to champion the subsequent  implementation of projects that emerge from the Framework.
The Framework is a step towards addressing the above challenges and opportunities. It provides a broad, high-level approach to thinking about how to  meet the needs and aspirations of businesses and organisations.
The case studies included in this document offer real-world examples of where innovative thinking has been used to solve issues around workforce  planning, attraction and retention of staff, and broader geographical and social challenges.
The research and the development of this Framework emphasises the need to think differently, innovate and enable collaboration.

Project products

Report • 2024-06-01 • 7.34 MB
2022-153-Capability_Framework.pdf

Summary

FRDC Workforce Capability Framework
People
Industry
People
People

Seafood employment and training platform – pathways content creation

Project number: 2022-194
Project Status:
Current
Budget expenditure: $112,000.00
Principal Investigator: Tracy J. Lloyd
Organisation: Tracy Lloyd Consulting
Project start/end date: 20 Jun 2023 - 24 Aug 2025
Contact:
FRDC
TAGS
Workforce
Capacity Building

Need

Through the online platform, potential and existing employees will understand and have access to employment opportunities, resources to help build their knowledge, skills, competencies and experience (capabilities), identify career progression, training and development opportunities.

The platform content will focus on creating a positive/realistic narrative by providing a balanced portrayal, telling the story of seafood as a sustainable, future focused industry with growth opportunities and varied career options for all skill levels. Enabling an eye-opening experience, users will respond positively to being exposed to the breadth and depth of the seafood industry. Showcasing the variety of roles, sustainable solutions, low barriers to entry as well as transferability of skills will help paint the picture of a varied and inclusive industry where all are welcome.

This project aims to utilise existing and generate new content, as identified in project research to enable a successful platform launch.

Objectives

1. Work through the collateral database assessment to prioritise and address gaps
2. Map industry career pathways, role type, skills, qualifications and courses for platform launch
3. Generate new and re-purpose existing content/collateral for platform use
4. Provide expertise to inform career tool development (post platform launch)
5. Support FRDC and SIA to engage and support stakeholders in the project

Capability & Capacity: advancing education & career pathways through collaboration (inc. National Food & Fibre Education Strategy)

Project number: 2023-084
Project Status:
Current
Budget expenditure: $150,689.64
Principal Investigator: Luciano Mesiti
Organisation: Primary Industries Education Foundation Australia (PIEFA)
Project start/end date: 20 Dec 2023 - 18 Dec 2025
Contact:
FRDC
TAGS
Workforce
Education
Capacity Building

Need

Commercial in confidence. To know more about this project please contact FRDC.

Objectives

Commercial in confidence
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