Michael Claessens Manager Workforce Development and Implementation

Agrifood Skills Australia in association with Energetics Pty Ltd, a leading climate change and sustainability consultancy firm, will run an exemplar project to develop and pilot a workforce development approach, for food processors, to meet energy, carbon and water management challenges.

The project is being funded by the Australian Government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations’ Workforce Innovation Program.

The program will assist enterprises  secure long term prosperity by demonstrating quick win cost-saving opportunities and initiating longer term plans in carbon management and energy/water efficiency. The program will be developed by Energetics in partnership with the AgriFood Skills Australia.

The project will incorporate:

• A new approach to workforce development for resource efficiency and carbon management in the agri-food sector which is configured, hands-on and industry specific;
• An assessment of the energy, water and carbon baseline and sustainability practices for participating businesses and a gap analysis of current management systems against best practice; and
• Diffusion and adoption of training materials and program evaluation outcomes to vocational education and training sector stakeholders

AgriFood Skills Australia will use the results of the project to provide an example for other industry sectors and training providers to proceed in this area and to effectively integrate competencies and skill requirements into Australia's training systems.