Queensland Agriculture Workforce Network (QAWN) has recently facilitated Workplace Essentials Seminars to train farm managers in workplace relations and work health and safety (WHS).

Feedback from the sessions proved extremely positive, with 99 per cent of participants giving an ‘Excellent’ or ‘Good’ rating and 85 per cent of participants saying they would review and implement changes as a result of attending the workshops.

Seminars were delivered to agricultural producers across all regions of rural Queensland.  Eleven workshops were held throughout the state in 2017. Five workshops were delivered in Mackay, Bowen, Charters Towers, Kingaroy and Chinchilla during February 2018.  Each year, the topics covered are altered to meet current industry needs.

Rebecca Fing of House Paddock Training and Consulting designed the WHS module and Donna Bannister (nee Mogg) developed the Managing People module. The sessions outlined key employer obligations and responsibilities, provided guidance and resources to encourage and assist with compliance, addressed key workplace issues and gave strategies to manage difficult situations.

The topics were developed and delivered in accordance with feedback from previous participants and guidance from QAWN officers throughout the state. Content was targeted towards business owners, supervisors, team leaders, managers and HR employees.

Ten to 30 per cent of attendees at each workshop were staff and the response from supervisory staff was especially positive. Ninety-seven percent of those surveyed said they would recommend future workshops to others.

Feedback showed there is still a need to deliver education and information around compliance across WHS and workplace relations. Comments indicated that tailored face-to-face workshops can deliver quite complex information and training to a willing industry audience.

The Workplace Essentials Seminars were funded by Queensland Government and Department of Agriculture and Fisheries. QAWN partnered with Workplace Health and Safety Queensland and AustSafe Super to deliver the workshop content.  Rural Jobs and Skills Alliance, QAWN and Cotton Australia helped promote the workshops.

For further information, please contact QAWN Project Manager Karen George by emailing qawn_sqld@growcom.com.au or calling 07 4613 1077