Employers Seeking Agricultural and Horticultural Candidates

Employers Seeking Agricultural & Horticultural Candidates

Overview

If you would like to work in Australia, then you should consider an agricultural and horticultural occupation. In Australia, agriculture, fishing, and forestry are vital industries that contribute largely to the country’s economy. Among the occupations in this industry are farmers and farm managers, agricultural consultants/scientists, shearers, agricultural technicians, arborists, landscape gardeners, and nursery persons.

Job Responsibilities

The job responsibilities would differ depending on the job you apply for under the agricultural and horticultural industry. For example, a farm manager usually decides which crops are to be grown, which land to be sown, and which livestock to be raised. He plans the farming activities undertaken including ordering of supplies and computing operation costs. He also recruits farmers and coordinates farm workers.

Job Requirements and Eligibility

The requirements and eligibility that the employers require would depend on your job in this industry. Employers would require a certain level of experience. For farm managing jobs, the employers would require the applicant to have specialised skills or management experience. Many employers would hire overseas workers, given that these workers have gained experience in Australian conditions.

For shearers and other horticultural trade vacancies, the applicants (local and international workers) should have favourable work histories, should pass a workplace trial, and should have valuable references. For arborists and landscape gardeners, overseas personnel should have a number of licenses and tickets for them to be considered by employers. If employers cannot find a skilled Australian citizen that is suitable for agricultural and horticultural agencies, then you may apply for the position, and if the company sponsors you, you may apply for a TSS visa and be allowed to work in Australia for up to four years. For TSS visa workers, you should have demonstrated English language ability, have acquired relevant licenses required for the position, and have health insurance.

Job Outlook 

Over the past 5 years, the number of jobs available in agriculture, forestry and horticulture has stayed about the same. This is a medium-sized occupation employing 13,600 workers in 2015.  It is expected in the future that there is a little change in the number of jobs available in this sector. New jobs and turnover from workers leaving may create between 5,001 and 10,000 job openings over the 5 years to 2020.

Salary Details

Employers sponsoring overseas workers are ready to advertise their vacant positions at a higher pay so that suitable applicants would be enticed to apply for the job. According to the PayScale Human Capital survey in July 2017, the median weekly earnings for full-time agricultural, forestry, and horticultural operators is $916. Pay for this job does not change much by experience, with the most experienced earning only a bit more than the least.

Skill Level, Assessment, and Licensing

There is actually no single authority that assesses overseas qualifications, as many professional and government organisations are involved in assessing qualifications depending on occupation or employment in a particular territory in Australia. For skills assessment, it is your responsibility as an applicant to contact the authority that is relevant to the occupation you are applying for. For example, for agricultural scientists, the assessment authority relevant to this occupation is the Vocational Education and Training Assessment Services or VETASSESS.

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