Placements of staff, skills development and scholarships
Objectives
- to provide placements and internships for businesses to increase their capacity in industry
- to provide learning and networking for employees and professionals which support growth of markets and have a transformational approach to business and the supply chain.
Activities
- Placements, internships and traineeships to increase the experience and understanding across all sectors of the sheep industry:
- available agri-industry wide trainee and internship programs documented
- engaged with industry partners to determine suitability and willingness to participate in internship programs
- potential industry placement opportunities – investigated with processors and exporters
- co-funding arrangement in place with MLA Donor Company: Value Chain Manager for V&V Walsh (November 2016) – this appointment was jointly funded between V&V Walsh, MLA and the department for two years
- supply chain communications position with V&V Walsh meat processors and exporters (November 2016)
- increased the skills of technical experts employed in the sheepmeat value chain in WA
- sponsored a pilot lecture series in Sheepmeat Supply Chain Management towards the development of a full time course unit, available for WA universities, November 2016
- intensive one-week regional Sheepmeat Value Chain Training Program targeting final year undergraduates and recent graduates – January 2017 and 2018
- intensive one-week value chain training course for new entrants and professionals run with University of Queensland. The sheepmeat value chain program was a custom training program for individuals who wished to pursue a career in agrifood and was run in January 2017 and January 2018. More information on the course
- established a longer term funder and sponsor for the program beyond 2018
- developed post graduate scholarships to WA universities on topics relevant to the WA sheep industry supply chain.
- development of a longer term placement strategy supporting young professionals as future leaders across the WA sheep supply chain.
- Increased the skills of technical experts employed in the sheepmeat value chain in WA:
- awarded study scholarships to WA universities on topics relevant to the WA sheep industry supply chain (Honours, Masters, and PhD)
- design and delivery of an undergraduate unit in sheep supply chain management to Murdoch University (November 2016) developed by SIBI; opportunity is available to all the WA universities
- sponsored a group of WA undergraduates to compete in the 2017 Australian Merino Challenge.
- Sheep industry insights study tours
- market insight tour to Middle East for emerging producers (November 2017).
Outcomes and achievements
- the China Insights tour with processors and producers in July 2015 highlighted key market drivers in the sheep industry and provided site visits to feedlots, slaughter, processing, new product development, chilled and frozen distribution, food service and retail distribution
- Supply Chain Manager Placement position established
- inaugural one-week regional sheepmeat value chain training program January 2017 held again in 2018, targeting 25 final year undergraduates and recent graduates from five universities.