CQ Jobs Link the missing link to easing farm worker shortages

CQ Job Link is a one-stop-shop employment portal for the Central Queensland Highlands and Isaac regions, attracting nearly 300 job listings per month.

With cotton picking in full swing and lemon picking about to begin, the struggle to find workers has bolstered efforts to link producers to the work force, following a state-wide campaign to attract workers to agriculture.

CHDC Agribusiness Community Officer Cassie Turner is urging producers to post their job vacancies on cqjoblink.com.au to cater for an expected influx of traffic

"This portal will go some way towards easing the problem. It's free, it's easy to use and your listing will reach a large audience across the State," Ms Turner said.

"While we know there are many vacancies in the local ag sector, only a small number of farmers have been posting them on CQ Job Link so this certainly needs to change.

"If job seekers see there's plenty of work here, they're more likely to find the right match and hopefully spread the word to others looking for work."

Recently, Pick QLD which is an initiative of the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, has been directing job seekers to local job portals, including CQ Job Link.

The website aims to attract and retain seasonal workers across Queensland's agriculture sector by promoting job opportunities and financial incentives, and by being a central information point for job vacancies, local visitor attractions and accommodation, health and travel advice, and more.

With no sign of international travel restrictions easing, Ms Turner said the CHDC is working with other agencies on an upcoming campaign to attract more farm workers to the region.

"Agriculture is estimated to be worth more than a billion dollars a year to our regional economy so it's incredibly important to help the industry to keep functioning as smoothly as possible," she said.

"We're confident there's a large workforce out there, especially with JobKeeper and JobSeeker drawing to a close, so it's a matter of getting those people to come here."

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