Skilled labour shortage and meeting seasonal demands, has been a concern for the agricultural industry for a number of years now. As the mining industry places increasing pressure on the availability of skilled and semi-skilled labour, it’s comforting to know there is one company that is addressing this issue head on!
Labour Solutions Australia is fast becoming the leading labour outsourcing company in the Australian agricultural industry. After working on a cattle station 80km north of Julia Creek with $800 and a laptop computer and at the age of 21, Andrew Northcott started Labour Solutions Australia by hiring out himself and his mates whilst studying for a Bachelor of Science degree at QUT. Over the next few years the business continued to grow and in 2007 Ken Warriner, Chairman of Consolidated Pastoral Company, purchased a minor holding in the business. Today the business employs over 800 people with revenue in excess of $35 million across a number of diverse industries. Andrew Northcott says, “given the owners understanding and passion for the agricultural sector we have been able to bring a high level of professionalism, supported by advanced technologies that traditionally agriculture industries haven’t been able to experience”.
Labour Solutions Australia was recently awarded by BRW as Australia’s fastest growing recruitment company for the second year running, and Australia’s 10th fastest growing business as part of the prestigious BRW Fast 100 list. Labour Solutions Australia focuses on obtaining qualified, skilled and semi-skilled personnel from local, national and international databases, as well as working with European companies and global initiatives to source skilled workers for the Australian agricultural industry, where local labour is not available.
Labour Solutions Australia offers a range of short and long-term skilled labour. Candidates are interviewed and skilled from offices nationwide, and then a candidate summary is sent to the client for their selection. This includes reference checking the short-listed candidates - even if that means making an out of hours call to employers in Europe!
Labour Solutions Australia speaks your language and goes the extra mile to understand your business. Are you looking for an irrigator for the summer? Or perhaps a tractor driver for inter row cultivation or seeding? Or do you require a header driver for the wheat harvest? Labour Solutions Australia’s local specialists, will ensure that they find the ideal candidate for your team. We bring a wealth of local area knowledge to agribusiness, having worked across all facets of the supply chain. We understand the needs of people involved in agricultural production, processing, and the service industries. We're deeply passionate about rural Australia and what it has to offer to the broader economy, while understanding the need to nurture and develop your workforce as one of your greatest assets.
Michelle Smith, a Goondiwindi local, has specialised in agricultural training for over five years, working with TAFE NSW and Goondiwindi Training and Technology. Michelle has trained in agriculture and has worked with a job placement program called ‘Get Set for Work’. She is one of the Border Region’s most experienced Human Resource Mangers when dealing with agricultural employees, making the selection and placement process that much easier for you.
“With the European recession and unemployment, we have seen a significant increase in skilled personnel looking for work outside the EU,” comments Michelle. “A lot of these young men and women are from an agricultural background and could be qualified in trades as diverse as boiler makers, tradesmen and university graduates who have struggled to find work once completing their studies. By offering them work in Australia, it give them the opportunity to further their skills abroad and addresses our skilled labour shortages with the agricultural industry.”
Labour Solutions Australia’s local specialists, Michelle Smith and Greg Cosh, will ensure that they find the ideal candidate for your team.
As a Labour Solutions Australia agent and owner of PECO Trading Co, Greg Cosh knows the demands of the agricultural season. “Just as the right part is essential for machinery, finding the right person for the job is just as important,’ commented Greg.
“We are also finding there are Australian men and women who would rather look at a lifestyle with their working environment, compared with the mining industry which can be dollar driven,” says Greg. “They are hard workers looking for a change.”
Its Labour Solutions Australia’s years of experience in the industry, combined with their appetite to innovate and develop the best workforce models and systems that makes them the leader in their field and sets them apart from the competition. The company is in the process of introducing electronic timesheets for the client, eliminating lengthy paperwork associated with manual timesheets. Imagine the time and expense saved in not having to worry about advertising, interviewing, preparing payroll, superannuation and workcover!
Labour Solutions Australia will also complete the on-farm inductions and carry out drug tests if needed. As the candidates are employees of Labour Solutions Australia, candidates will arrive at the workplace ready for work and kitted out with the appropriate personal protection equipment. This exciting new way of hiring skilled staff can save you the time and headache of recruiting.
Labour Solutions Australia now services rural and regional locations all over Queensland, including Brisbane, Sydney, Toowoomba, Gold Coast, Mareeba, Emerald, Dalby, Goondiwindi, Narrabri, Moree, Tamworth, Bourke, Townsville and Hay.
If you're interested in sourcing reliable labour for your business, contact our team today.