Grey nomads looking to embrace a new experience and to boost their on-the road-budgets are being actively sought by the sugar cane industry … as they look to address chronic harvest labour shortages.
In particular, industry groups want to ensure growers have enough haulout drivers to enable them to get the harvested crop off to sidings to load to cane trains … a critical link in the delivery of crop from paddock to mill.
And they are even offering free training. Canegrowers Mackay, for example, is offering two four-day courses on-farm courses starting on April 30 and May 7, with 20 fully-funded spots available.
In the last couple of years, many places in the course have been filled by older workers, with some travelling from Victoria and NSW to transfer skills from other agricultural sectors to cane.
Haulout training in action. PIC: Canegrowers Mackay
Senior Trainer, Ron Gurnett, shares his knowledge. PIC: Canegrowers Mackay
Others though were simply seeking to find a sector that gave them time to explore the region and enjoy semi-retirement.
Canegrowers Mackay Chairman, Kevin Borg, said the organisation was committed to supporting new workers.
“We welcome grey nomad travelling workers to our region, and to our industry … a lot of harvesters are reporting positive experiences with older drivers, who are typically more careful and reliable,” he said. “We have a lot to offer in terms of tourism, with all the benefits of being a large regional centre.”
Amie Williams took the course last year, and quickly secured work as a haulout driver.
“The course was really invaluable … I worked all last season, and had no accidents, my boss was really happy, and has employed me again this year,” she said. “Every day is different, every situation is different, every paddock is different.”
Ms Williams said that, while she had worked a six on two-off roster, there was a range of rosters depending on the individual employer, and that Canegrowers staff had helped people find what they needed.
“You can just work three or four days a week, if that’s what you want,” she said. “Employers want people who show up, do the job and do it well.”
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It’s a really good way to earn lots of money fast. Both the missus and me have heaps of tractor experience as we managed a cotton farm years ago. We now only do cotton harvest or pick. We work for 2-3 months, then we go travelling. We are thinking about doing the cane harvest too.