Lockyer Valley’s FarmReady concept revived and improved

A NEW service designed to assist workers as they transition into employment in the agriculture industry within the Lockyer Valley was officially launched this week.

FarmReady Hub will help jobseekers at every stage of the process as they seek employment, with assistance beginning before they leave home and given to them up until they leave the region.

FarmReady founder and director Janne Dipple said the service would help backpackers and seasonal workers to navigate the grey areas that come along with finding employment in agriculture, which is made all the more complicated by the diverse nature of the industry.

“FarmReady’s clients and members are the jobseekers,” Mrs Dipple said.

“Because they can join before they leave home, they can start their industry induction earlier and get all their travel and employment sign-ups done ahead of time... right down to seeing what the work looks like in a region, where to live and community connections.”

The original FarmReady concept was started by the Lockyer Valley Alliance (LVA), an association incorporated in 2000.

When that project stopped in 2005, more than 1000 FarmReady Card Inductions had been issued, along with 114 vocational qualifications.

Mrs Dipple felt the need for such a service in the region was more apparent then ever, given recent incidents surrounding the employment of backpackers.

In 2015 she approached the LVA to modernise the FarmReady Card concept and develop a model that helped not just the jobseeker but the entire chain.

Visit farmreadyhub.com for more information.