Rod Morris – QLD Farmers Federation

Representing: Panel Leader/Investigating Arb Qual Delivery Impact on Skills Shortage

With a lifetime of farming experience and over a decade’s worth of experience in Vocational Education Training, Rod brings a deep understanding of farming to his role as an Industry skills Advisor (ISA). Rod’s experience provides strategic advice to the Department of Education, Small Business & Training (DESBT).

Through engagement with employers and industry stakeholders to provide high quality, evidence-based industry advice and intelligence about current and emerging industry direction, regional skills needs and training solutions, jobs growth and employment opportunities.

Rod plays a key role to enhance educational outcomes and employment opportunities for people seeking work and a career in the agriculture industry.

Steve Hayes – Interlink Training

Representing: Registered Training Organisations (RTOs)

I am keen to help change the community’s perspective of Arboriculture and Arborists.

Arboriculture is a discipline that is not understood and appreciated by the community, it is a hidden gem that needs to be promoted to school leavers as a valuable and exciting career option. 

Craig Reid – Australian Institute of Arboriculture

Representing: Registered Training Organisations (RTOs)

Workforce impacts related to recent global events have highlighted the need for greater flexibility and funding support for employers and apprenticeship programs. Listening to varying perspectives provides insight into the challenges faced by different industry sectors and an opportunity to act on funding to meet industry, employer and student expectations. Hopefully, greater flexibility in the way funding is paid to RTO’s and additional funding support is made available to RTO’s, employers and students seeking to become qualified in the future.

Janis Lamont – 24/7 Trees

Representing: Arboricultural Students

I am passionate about the skills gap impact on our industry as I feel being insufficiently trained, or being unable to be trained due to lack of training options, can lessen the quality of works being delivered, increases costs to both clients and companies to fix or repair mistakes, and decreases efficient productivity for a business.

This can have a detrimental effect within our industry by the loss of client confidence, lack of trade attraction to upcoming generations, and the increase of bad or unsafe practices. 

Harry Pearce – D’Anoia Tree Services and Landcare

Representing: Arboricultural Students

I feel that the skills gap is in need of addressing, not only in a bid to make our industry a much safer place to work for all who are a part of it, but also to ensure that those who are keen and enthusiastic to pursue a career in Arboriculture are backed by their RTO’s and employers 110%.

Ben McDonald – Branch Creek Tree Services

Representing: Businesses – Contractors

There are businesses that train staff and there are those that try to hire people who are already qualified and experienced. With a rapidly expanding industry in Queensland, it’s inevitable that we will have a major shortage of skilled Arborists if we can’t convince business owners to train more apprentices and have the appropriate RTOs to train them.

Simon Lonsdale – Frontier Tree Services

Representing: Businesses – Bigger Teams, Multiple Businesses, Domestic Arb

Roger Rankine – Independent Arboricultural Services

Representing: Businesses – Consultant Teams

As a business owner and employer, I am passionate about seeing new people able to access training and enter the industry, alongside current industry participants being able to access continual professional development.

Nick Smith – Evergreen Tree Care

Representing: Businesses – Contractors and Council Work