Innovative work: cotton workforce development for sustained competitive advantage

Project overview

The cotton sector has prioritised workforce development for strategic investment in its R&D plan (2008–2011) by setting human capacity building as a goal and defining a strategy to ‘Identify, understand and plan for future industry capacity needs’. This strategy reflects the underlying principle that effective workforce development has a key role in driving a sectors competitiveness and innovation. Workforce development, however, is not straightforward in primary industries where there are a number of individual businesses that on their own cannot influence the organisation and activities of training organisations or employment services, or even necessarily offer a broad range of career opportunities within their own businesses. Therefore, collective action by the organisations that influence or have a stake in human capacity is required.

This project activates the cotton sector strategy and addresses this challenge by establishing a research-based process to:

  • collect and interpret regionally specific data and information about how cotton workforce development happens and what is currently working well or could be improved;
  • engage key stakeholders, including those outside the sector, in understanding the workforce development system and how current projects and activities are linking together to identify gaps or areas that need enhancement; and
  • develop a regionally relevant framework to mobilise and support networks of employers and relevant stakeholders in 2 to 3 regions in partnerships for local action to improve workforce development.

Outcomes targeted

The legacy of this project will be an effective workforce development process to:

  1. Integrate industry activities in attraction, retention and development to increase their impact.
  2. Secure greater co-investment by workforce development and employment services that meet mutual needs.
  3. Better inform employment services sector about the cotton sector needs.
  4. Increase farm productivity through higher quality jobs and work that is more attractive sector to potential entrants, and farms with capacity to adopt and adapt innovative techniques and practices.

Outputs completed

  • A searchable and updateable database that presents relevant labour market analysis information for each cotton region (ABS, Census and ABARE data).
  • Milestone reports reviewing current industry, regional and farm workforce development activities and human resource practices on farms, in three regions.
  • Stakeholder feedback in three regions and nationally (seven events).
  • Milestone report on the cotton workforce development system: gaps and opportunities for enhancing industry competitiveness.

Milestone report on stakeholder briefings: stakeholder feedback and changed levels of awareness Changed understanding of the cotton workforce development system by stakeholders nationally and regionally. Milestone report on cotton workforce development planning and action framework for national action.

  • In total, 61 semi-structured interviews with cotton growers and stakeholders were completed across three cotton regions, and 73 cotton growers from these regions were surveyed.
  • A one-day workforce information event was conducted in a cotton region (Riverina, NSW).
  • Small agriculture training trial is underway in a cotton region (Emerald, QLD).

Outputs planned

  • Lessons from the project for improving cotton workforce development over time.

Project Duration

March 2012 – March 2015

Research Group Leader/Key contact

Dr Jennifer Moffatt, A/Prof Ruth Nettle

Contact details

Dr Jennifer Moffatt
M: 0422 183 011
E: jennifer.moffatt@unimelb.edu.au

Partnership details

Cotton Research and Development Corporation

Publications

Five progress reports and four milestone reports have been submitted to the CRDC. Three conference presentations have been given and a fourth abstract has been accepted. One peer-reviewed conference paper has been published.