As Queensland cotton growers get set to produce a bumper crop this season, a shortage of seasonal workers could have an impact on the overall yield and quality of the cotton harvested.
In an effort to connect growers with prospective employees, Cotton Australia has launched a new online service which will enable growers to post jobs they need filling.
The new platform has been developed by Cotton Australia with funding assistance from the Queensland Government.
Cotton Australia CEO Adam Kay said the jobs website will support growers through the busy season ahead.
"This platform will play a key role in addressing the industry's seasonal labour shortages, which were triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic," Mr Kay said.
"Working on an Australian cotton farm is highly rewarding - with most growers paying above-Award rates and offering interesting roles with great conditions.
"We encourage our Cotton Australia levy paying growers to post their job advertisements today, and we call on job seekers to visit the website regularly to discover and apply for their next exciting career opportunity."
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Mr Kay said the launch of Cotton Jobs Australia demonstrated the industry's commitment to solving the challenges laid before it.
"This season we're forecasting a crop in excess of 4.5 million bales, which means our growers will be very busy producing our sustainable, high-quality cotton," he said.
"That means our workforce shortages will really start to bite unless we get applicants filling the jobs that are available on farm.
"We really look forward to growers fully utilizing this new tool and seeing a flood of job seekers applying through Cotton Jobs Australia to head out on farm and take up the exciting roles, now and into the future, in our industry."
Rowena-based cotton grower and Cotton Australia Deputy Chair, Bernie Bierhoff, said the new jobs platform is a win for growers and job seekers.
"As a grower, I am excited to have this fresh opportunity to recruit for the exciting positions I have available on my farm," Mr Bierhoff said.
"The Cotton Jobs Australia webpage is easy to use, it doesn't take long to upload a job ad, and it's a simple process to apply for a role.
"I really encourage everyone to use this platform to help solve our industry's workforce issues."
Cotton Australia will provide training resources to any levy paying grower wishing to use the platform to advertise their job opportunities.
- For growers wishing to post a job, visit the Cotton Jobs Australia registration page here: https://cottonaustralia.com.au/register
- To apply for a job on an Australian cotton farm, visit the Cotton Jobs Australia website: https://cottonaustralia.com.au/jobs
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