❓ Hon Peter Collier, on behalf of Hon Dr Steve Thomas, asks about the effectiveness of the 'Work and Wander Out Yonder' campaign in addressing farm worker shortages. The Minister provides data on registrations, job listings, and support scheme uptake, while also noting employer engagement is crucial.
AnsweredQoN 1040Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
WORK AND WANDER OUT
YONDER CAMPAIGN
1040. Hon PETER COLLIER to
the Minister for Agriculture and Food:
I ask this question on the behalf
of Hon Dr Steve Thomas, who is on urgent parliamentary business.
I refer to the shortage of farm
workers to harvest this year's crops, the government's Work and
Wander Out Yonder campaign and the primary industries workers regional travel
and accommodation support scheme. Since the start of the Work and Wander Out
Yonder campaign —
(1) How many
people have registered their interest to work on farms on the Department of
Primary Industries and Regional Development's registration website as
of today's date?
(2) How many jobs
have been advertised by farmers and regional businesses on that website and the
other websites listed on the Work and Wander Out Yonder website as a result of
the campaign?
(3) How many jobs
have been advertised by farmers and regional businesses on the Backpacker Job
Board?
(4) How many employment placements have been made as a
result of the campaign from its inception to date?
(5) Can the government prove any cases of employment
as a result of the campaign; and, if so, what is that proof?
YONDER CAMPAIGN
1040. Hon PETER COLLIER to
the Minister for Agriculture and Food:
I ask this question on the behalf
of Hon Dr Steve Thomas, who is on urgent parliamentary business.
I refer to the shortage of farm
workers to harvest this year's crops, the government's Work and
Wander Out Yonder campaign and the primary industries workers regional travel
and accommodation support scheme. Since the start of the Work and Wander Out
Yonder campaign —
(1) How many
people have registered their interest to work on farms on the Department of
Primary Industries and Regional Development's registration website as
of today's date?
(2) How many jobs
have been advertised by farmers and regional businesses on that website and the
other websites listed on the Work and Wander Out Yonder website as a result of
the campaign?
(3) How many jobs
have been advertised by farmers and regional businesses on the Backpacker Job
Board?
(4) How many employment placements have been made as a
result of the campaign from its inception to date?
(5) Can the government prove any cases of employment
as a result of the campaign; and, if so, what is that proof?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(5) I thank the member for the question asked on
behalf of Hon Dr Steve Thomas. I must say I was disappointed not to see Hon Dr Steve Thomas at a mainstream
grains function. The Nationals WA were well represented , but Hon Dr
Steve Thomas was not at this mainstream, traditional event.
I can provide some data here. As of 6
October 2020, 12 934 jobseekers were registered on the Studium database. Since
the launch of the Work and Wander Out Yonder campaign, this number has
increased by 1 436. Currently, 294 employers are registered to access the
database. Of these, 94 employers have joined since the launch of the campaign.
The campaign website has recorded 2 388 jobseekers clicking through to SEEK
jobs listings and 1 202 to Gumtree job listings.
Since
the launch of the campaign, there have been 166 job advertisements on SEEK
using the wanderoutyonder hashtag. Many of these advertisements are for
multiples roles. This job list has been viewed, unbelievably, more than 2.8 million
times.
Data on jobs listed on Gumtree or the
Backpacker Job Board is not collected.
Between 21 September 2020 and 5
October 2020, there were 585 registrations for our primary industries workers
regional travel and accommodation support scheme. Applications opened on 5 October
2020, and there is a two-week minimum work period.
It
is really important that our horticulturalists get on that site. We noted last
week a video recorded of one lady who was unhappy; she was unable to get
staff. As far as we could see, she had not taken up any of the opportunities to
register on the SEEK or Studium sites. Indeed, when we went on the site for her company, we found that she had indicated
that she would not have jobs available until the end of November . We are
working extremely hard to attract and mobilise what WA labour we can, and we
have many people putting their names down, but we can do only half that job.
The other half has to be the engagement by the employers and the taking up of
those opportunities.
behalf of Hon Dr Steve Thomas. I must say I was disappointed not to see Hon Dr Steve Thomas at a mainstream
grains function. The Nationals WA were well represented , but Hon Dr
Steve Thomas was not at this mainstream, traditional event.
I can provide some data here. As of 6
October 2020, 12 934 jobseekers were registered on the Studium database. Since
the launch of the Work and Wander Out Yonder campaign, this number has
increased by 1 436. Currently, 294 employers are registered to access the
database. Of these, 94 employers have joined since the launch of the campaign.
The campaign website has recorded 2 388 jobseekers clicking through to SEEK
jobs listings and 1 202 to Gumtree job listings.
Since
the launch of the campaign, there have been 166 job advertisements on SEEK
using the wanderoutyonder hashtag. Many of these advertisements are for
multiples roles. This job list has been viewed, unbelievably, more than 2.8 million
times.
Data on jobs listed on Gumtree or the
Backpacker Job Board is not collected.
Between 21 September 2020 and 5
October 2020, there were 585 registrations for our primary industries workers
regional travel and accommodation support scheme. Applications opened on 5 October
2020, and there is a two-week minimum work period.
It
is really important that our horticulturalists get on that site. We noted last
week a video recorded of one lady who was unhappy; she was unable to get
staff. As far as we could see, she had not taken up any of the opportunities to
register on the SEEK or Studium sites. Indeed, when we went on the site for her company, we found that she had indicated
that she would not have jobs available until the end of November . We are
working extremely hard to attract and mobilise what WA labour we can, and we
have many people putting their names down, but we can do only half that job.
The other half has to be the engagement by the employers and the taking up of
those opportunities.
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