Grow your future: nurturing horticulture jobs

Nursery and Garden Industry Victoria and Jobs Victoria are taking significant strides in promoting inclusive employment and supporting disadvantaged jobseekers to enter the horticulture industry through the Grow Your Future project. The initiative, supported by the Victorian Government through Jobs Victoria, aims to recruit and train 100 passionate individuals seeking employment in the horticulture industry.

Recently, Minister for Employment Ben Carroll, along with Member for Monbulk, Daniela De Martino, NGIV CEO, Craig Taberner, and Project Lead, Rachna Horn, visited Fleming’s Nursery in Monbulk to officially open applications for the $1.9 million project. NGIV member Fleming’s Nurseries – one of Australia’s largest wholesale nurseries for fruit and ornamental trees – is proud to be part of this inclusive employment program and welcomes the support from the project to meet its staffing needs.

Minister Carroll commended the project. “We’re backing people who may be struggling to find work to get the skills and experience they need to work in our nursery and garden industry. This is a great opportunity for anyone wanting a stable, flexible job that will set them up for a rewarding career.”

General Manager of Fleming’s Nurseries, Daniel Jansen, expressed his enthusiasm for the project. “As a family-owned and operated business with a great culture, our local community is very important to us, and we’re proud to be part of a program that supports people who are finding it difficult to get into a job.”

Recognising the potential for long-term career prospects, Fleming’s Nurseries plans to create new positions for nursery hands and dispatch workers through the program. These ‘earn and learn’ roles will provide workers with pre-employment and on-the-job training, cultivating their skills and fostering an inclusive workforce community.

Horticulture plays a vital role in Victoria’s economy, generating $2.5 billion annually and employing more than 24,000 people. With 75% of businesses in the industry looking to expand, the Grow Your Future project will play a crucial role in strengthening the skilled workforce pipeline, with job opportunities primarily concentrated in east and southeast Melbourne, and some roles also available in regional Victoria.

The Grow Your Future project prioritises jobs for individuals who need additional support in finding work, including those from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, young people, women over 45, and the long-term unemployed. Successful recruits will have secure work for 12 months, along with pre-employment and on-the-job training, mentoring support, and a workplace buddy. The project may also offer opportunities to pursue free and formal qualifications, further enhancing participants’ employability.

Daniela De Martino, Member for Monbulk, emphasised the project’s positive impact on the community. “This program will create more jobs, more upskilling opportunities, and more economic benefits for our community.”

NGIV and the Grow Your Future project are paving the way for a more inclusive and skilled workforce in the horticulture industry For more information about the project, visit www.ngiv.com.au, www.growyourfuture.org.au, www.jobs.vic.gov.au or call the NGIV office.