Workforce Plan
2026 – 2027
The Workforce Plan 2026–2027 sets out the workforce challenges, opportunities and priority actions shaping the agribusiness, fibre, furnishing, food, animal and environment care industries. It’s built for employers, workers, unions, training providers and governments who are working together to keep these industries skilled, safe and productive.
The Workforce Plan is Skills Insight’s annual, evidence-based roadmap. It draws on industry data, stakeholder consultation and sector research to identify where coordinated action is needed. It also guides the projects Skills Insight puts forward to the Australian Government each year.
Across the industries Skills Insight supports
$79.5B
contributed to the national economy
626,100
people employed
60%
of workers
live outside
capital cities
6.2%
projected workforce growth by 2035
31%
aged
55 and over
39
median age
What the data is telling us
Ageing workforces, seasonal work patterns and regional attraction challenges contribute to ongoing labour supply constraints. With over 90% of businesses in the industries we support employing fewer than five people, many can’t easily absorb the time and cost of off-farm training, which limits the development of a secure, long-term domestic skills pipeline.
Many of these industries operate in regional, rural and remote training markets, where dispersed learners and higher delivery costs mean RTOs struggle to consistently offer training where and when it’s needed.
National data collections often understate workforce and training demand in regional, rural and remote areas, making it harder for industry and government to plan and fund effective responses.
Working together
This plan provides a shared evidence-base. It translates to action when industry, unions, training providers and governments act on it together, whether that’s through advocacy, project delivery, training design or policy reform. We welcome ongoing input as we implement action priorities.
Our four priorities for action
Access and inclusion
Making sure people in regional, rural and remote areas, and across all parts of the workforce, can access the training they need.
Evidence-based decision making
Closing the gaps in national data so that policy and funding decisions reflect what’s really happening on the ground.
Productivity and capability
Keeping qualifications and training current as digital technology, automation and sustainability reshape the way these industries work.
Quality skills system
Making sure the skills system recognises real workplace capability and delivers training that’s practical, accessible and fit for purpose.
Help shape future
workforce priorities
Share your feedback, insights or emerging industry challenges to help inform future editions of the Workforce Plan.
Research informing workforce planning
Workforce planning is an ongoing process that explores and integrates data from the following areas:
Findings are tested with industry leaders and the Stakeholder Forum to identify and confirm strategic workforce planning priorities.
Building a safe, inclusive and resilient workforce
Between January and March 2026, Skills Insight conducted a workforce planning consultation on Leading a safer, inclusive and resilient workforce, which examined four interconnected priority areas and opportunities for action. Feedback from stakeholders helped shape the safety and wellbeing priorities and recommendations in the Workforce Plan 2026-2027.
Data Dashboard
The Skills Insight Data Dashboard brings together workforce, occupation, and training data to provide an overview of 13 industry groups. It highlights demographics, employment trends, top employing occupations, and VET activity.
Use this Data Dashboard to explore data and insights relevant to the industries you’re interested in.
Further information on how this data links to real-world experiences and stakeholder insights is detailed in our Workforce Plan 2025–2026.