Horsham's Grains Innovation Park on hunt to bolster workforce for harvest 2020

The centre annually recruits between 20 and 35 seasonal staff to help harvest and process experimental field trials, perform laboratory procedures and quality test grain seed samples.

Agriculture Victoria research director and Grains Innovation Park site leader Traci Griffin said these roles played an important part in the centre's world-leading agriculture research.

"Agriculture Victoria is recruiting technical staff to help with the annual harvest of cereals and pulses grown as part of field and laboratory experiments," she said.

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"These seasonal roles are an important part of Agriculture Victoria's annual research and innovation programs, helping to ensure field trials can be harvested at the optimum time and contracted research outcomes are delivered to industry."

Ms Griffin said the roles were often filled by people looking for short-term employment after returning to the region.

"Often the roles are filled by local tertiary students who take the opportunity to return to their families and regional communities over the summer break," she said.

"The roles involve field work, processing plant and soil samples, quality testing grain and other glasshouse and lab-based tasks."

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Senior Research scientist Dr Sally Norton said the seasonal roles were a good opportunity for those taking their first steps in the industry.

"Casual workers are employed over the harvest season to help harvest experimental field and glasshouse trials, process grain samples and collect data," she said.

"This work provides people with an opportunity to get some experience in agricultural research, especially for those studying agriculture or those interested in pursuing an agricultural or science career."

The jobs are being advertised through Working for Victoria - a state government initiative started to help match jobseekers and employers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The state government also announced last week $175,000 for workers laid off due to COVID-19 to retrain in time for harvest using the Grain Producers Australia online training portal.

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