End of Year Wrap-Up for 2025

Our Skills and Innovation Forum

The Food, Fibre and Timber Industries Training Council (FFTITC) acts as a conduit between industry and government, providing strategic advice to the State Training Board and the Department of Training and Workforce Development.

In 2025, we engaged with more than 1,000 organisations and 1,700 stakeholders across Western Australia, including employers, industry bodies, training providers, schools and workforce partners.

Through Skills Network Groups, forums and direct consultation, we identified a consistent set of workforce and training challenges affecting our industries.

Key Issues Facing Food, Fibre and Timber Industries

·         Persistent labour and skills shortages, particularly in regional WA.

·         Limited availability and delivery of training in thin and niche markets.

·         High attrition rates in entry-level and fee-free training programs.

·         Low language, literacy and numeracy skills among new entrants.

·         Limited access to industry placements and live training environments.

·         Shortages of qualified trainers and assessors.

·         Funding constraints affecting regional, rural and remote delivery.

·         Weak career awareness and poorly defined pathways into FFT industries.

·         Increasing regulatory and compliance pressures.

·         Challenges attracting and retaining workers in regional communities.

Key FFTITC Activities in 2025

• Leading new training pathway development, including apprenticeship/traineeship submissions for Certificate III Irrigation and Certificate III On-Country Management, and progressing veterinary nursing and agriculture apprenticeship models.

• Establishing and facilitating industry advisory groups, such as the Skills in Agriculture and Cropping Advisory Group, to provide structured, ongoing industry input into workforce and training priorities.

• Delivering industry-led forums and Skills Network meetings, including AgriSkills, Animal Care, and Meat Processing forums, to validate issues and co-design practical solutions.

• Facilitating our Advancing Skills and Innovation Forum where industry and RTOs were advised of changes to Training Package and RTO standards and other workforce development updates.

• Engaging schools and education stakeholders through career expos, VET coordinator briefings, agricultural college engagement and advocacy for improved visibility of Food, Fibre and Timber careers.

• Advocating on system-level issues including funding for thin markets, regulatory reform, trainer shortages and compliance burden through engagement with the State Training Board, DTWD, Skills Insight, Training Accreditation Council, and Veterinarians Practice Board of WA.

• Commencing strategic workforce research, including a five-year Workforce and VET Audit, to strengthen evidence-based planning and inform future policy and funding decisions.

  
  

FFTITC remained strategy-focused throughout 2025, delivering leverage and system leadership rather than a long list of disconnected initiatives. Our work is strongly aligned with State Training Board priorities, and we are confident our role is recognised and valued by the Western Australian Government.

We thank our stakeholders, industry representatives, staff and volunteer Board for their continued collaboration and commitment. Looking ahead, FFTITC remains focused on supporting a workforce development environment that enables growth and innovation—now and into the future.

We wish everyone a safe and happy festive season and look forward to working with you in 2026.

Not a member of our Skills Network?  Find out more and click here to register.