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| 5 Aug 2026 | |
| General |
Summary: On Tuesday, 7 July 2026, WA meat industry stakeholders met at Bunbury Geographe CCI to inaugurate an industry-led Roundtable focused on workforce development, skills, training, recruitment, upskilling, retention and careers. Tony Palladino, CEO FFTITC, & Mick Crouch, CEO MINTRAC, facilitated the meeting. The Roundtable follows the Bunbury Meat Industry Skills Network Forum held on 28 October 202, subsequent engagement with the WA Government in December 2025 on workforce risks, training access gaps and the expected pressure from increased domestic processing demand, and the MINTRAC Connections Forum of 9 – 11 February 2026. The forums confirmed there were persistent and structural workforce pressures across boning, slaughtering, slicing, butchery, meat inspection, processing, packing and supervisory roles.
The inaugural Roundtable brought together representatives from across the meat processing sector, including employers, industry bodies, training providers, workforce agencies and government. Inaugural members included AMIC, AMPC, AMIEU, Craig Mostyn Group, Dardanup Butchering Company, FFTITC, Harvest Road, Hillside Meat Processors, Katherine Pastoral Company, MINTRAC, South Metropolitan TAFE, Training Solutions Australia, V&V Walsh, Workforce Australia Great Southern Wheatbelt Region and Workforce Australia Southwest Region.
The Roundtable was established in response to ongoing workforce pressures across key occupations including slaughtering, boning, slicing, processing, packing, meat inspection and supervisory roles. Rather than addressing these challenges independently, participants committed to creating an industry-led mechanism that allows employers and stakeholders to work together on practical workforce solutions.
The initiative builds on previous workforce discussions across Western Australia, including the Bunbury Meat Industry Skills Network Forum and subsequent engagement with the WA Government, recognising that recruitment, skills development and workforce retention require long-term, coordinated approaches.
The inaugural meeting formally established the WA Meat Industry Roundtable, confirmed its Terms of Reference and agreed to quarterly meetings supported by action-focused working arrangements.
Representatives from processors, peak industry bodies, training providers, workforce agencies and government committed to sharing intelligence, identifying priorities and progressing practical actions that can deliver measurable outcomes for the sector.
MINTRAC will continue supporting the initiative through its role in maintaining records, communications and coordinating the action register, helping ensure agreed priorities translate into meaningful industry outcomes.
"The challenges facing our workforce cannot be solved by one organisation alone. The Roundtable creates a forum where industry can share intelligence, coordinate action and work together on practical solutions that strengthen capability across Western Australia's meat processing sector." Mick Crouch
The Roundtable identified four initial priorities that will guide its work.
Recruitment and attraction will focus on strengthening career pathways, promoting opportunities through schools and careers events, supporting Skills Centres and improving connections with local employment partners.
Upskilling and training access aims to improve regional training opportunities, expand recognition pathways and strengthen access to nationally recognised qualifications for both new and existing workers.
Retention and workforce support recognises that attracting employees is only one part of the challenge. Participants identified practical strategies including improved onboarding, mentoring, supervisor capability, workplace culture, roster design and support for workers relocating to regional communities.
Looking ahead, the Roundtable also recognised the importance of preparing businesses for future skills and productivity, including automation, digital technologies, traceability, food safety, biosecurity, ESG requirements and export market expectations.
A key outcome of the inaugural meeting was the commitment to develop an industry action register, providing accountability for agreed priorities, milestones and responsibilities.
The Roundtable will reconvene in early October 2026, with invitations remaining open to additional employers and representative organisations that were unable to attend the inaugural meeting. Expanding participation will help strengthen regional collaboration and ensure the Roundtable continues to reflect the needs of Western Australia's meat processing sector.
By bringing together employers, educators, government and industry organisations, the initiative demonstrates the value of coordinated leadership in addressing workforce challenges that no single organisation can solve alone.
As workforce needs continue to evolve, collaboration remains one of the industry's strongest tools for building a skilled, capable and resilient workforce.
Communiqué: The WA Meat Industry Roundtable will translate shared industry intelligence into practical, measurable actions that strengthen recruitment, skills development and workforce retention across regional Western Australia.
Contact
For more information about the WA Meat Industry Roundtable, please contact:
Tony Palladino
CEO, Food, Fibre and Timber Industries Training Council (FFTITC)
📧 tony@fftitc.com.au
📞 0437 396 363
MINTRAC: Mick Crouch (CEO) - mcrouch@mintrac.com.au
