Food manufacturer JBS Foods Australia has launched an onsite English language school at its Queensland processing facility as part of an initiative aimed at addressing skills shortages across its Australian operations, according to the Australian Industry Group.
In a news release, the company said it had become an Education Services for Overseas Students (ESOS) provider to deliver tailored English language training for international workers at its Dinmore processing facility in Ipswich, near Brisbane. The program, known as the JBS English Academy, is focused initially on skilled meat workers from Brazil.
JBS Foods Australia Group Manager for Talent Acquisition Jackson Hewitt said the company had been working for several years to recruit specialist workers from Brazil to help meet ongoing labour shortages in Australia.
“With the significant and ongoing labour shortages here in Australia, we’ve been working with our counterparts in Brazil for a number of years to try to fill some of our specialist roles,” Hewitt said.
“The major hurdle has always been the English language barrier.”
The academy welcomed its first intake of 14 students in March, followed by a second group of 16 workers last month. Further intakes are being considered.
According to Hewitt, the company had previously trialled online English courses in Brazil, but found the format challenging for workers balancing full-time employment, limited internet access and long commutes.
“As you can imagine, online learning is challenging when you’re working fulltime,” he said.
JBS also experimented with placing workers into external English language programs linked to its pork processing facility in Melbourne before deciding to establish its own training model through its registered training organisation.
“We thought: ‘We can do this more effectively ourselves,’” Hewitt said.
“It meant we could provide them with tailored English learning while offering them continued employment in their specialist roles.”
The company said workers in the program study under 12-month student visas while continuing to work in specialist meat processing roles. Participants complete at least 20 hours of classes each week and can work up to 48 hours a fortnight.
Hewitt said accommodation had been arranged close to both the workplace and classrooms to help students manage study and work commitments.
“We’ve tried to make it as convenient as possible to maximise their chance of success,” he said.
The long-term aim is for the program to expand to other countries and occupations across the business.
“We want it to be available to all,” Hewitt said.
He added that the program was designed not only to address workforce needs but also to create opportunities for employees seeking international experience and career progression.
“It’s not just about filling labour shortages, it’s about providing opportunities for people who otherwise wouldn’t have them,” he said.
Australian Industry Group said the initiative demonstrated how workplace-based education and training could support both businesses and employees.
The organisation’s Centre for Education and Training said it had long advocated for stronger connections between education, training and workplace needs, adding that the JBS program showed how contextualised learning delivered onsite could benefit workforce development.
