Jobs and Skills Australia have released a the report An Essential Ingredient: The Food Supply Chain Workforce in January 2025.
While there are many activities vital to the food supply chain, the primary focus of this study was to explore the production, manufacturing and distribution of food. This study focuses on the key challenges and opportunities that can be addressed through the national skills system.
The final report presents a series of recommendations addressing the following key themes:
- Improve the relevance and delivery of tertiary education and training.
- Invest in sustainable veterinary and biosecurity workforce pathways.
- Combat worker exploitation and ensure migration continues to support regional Australia.
- Harness opportunities within the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme.
- Improve labour hire practices, enforcement and information.
- Support apprenticeships and traineeships for critical roles.
- Facilitate better planning of the food supply chain workforce.
- Address barriers in regional, rural and remote Australia.
You can download the report from the Jobs and Skills website.
