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WAARC’s Capacity Needs Analysis provides a snapshot of the workforce capabilities needed to support Western Australia’s agricultural RD&E sector over the next five to 15 years. Commissioned to inform future planning, investment and capacity-building initiatives, the analysis identifies current strengths, emerging challenges and priority areas for workforce development across the sector.
The WA Agricultural Research Collaboration (WAARC) is Western Australia’s platform for collaborative agricultural research and development, bringing together government, universities and industry to address key challenges such as climate resilience, productivity, sustainability and biosecurity.
Through its ‘Team WA’ approach, WAARC drives practical, industry-led research that maximises impact while building capability and strengthening the State’s future agricultural workforce.
In August 2025, WAARC commissioned a Capacity Needs Analysis to identify and validate Western Australia’s current and future workforce requirements across the agricultural research, development and extension (RD&E) sector. Conducted by Queensland-based Jane Wightman Consulting, the analysis provides a point-in-time stocktake of the expertise, skills and workforce capabilities needed to support the sector over the next five to 15 years.
The findings are intended to help guide future planning, investment and capacity-building initiatives across WA’s agricultural RD&E system.
The Capacity Needs Analysis comprises five reports that are intended to be read as a complementary package, rather than standalone documents. The reports will soon be released and the links published below.
While the Summary Report provides an overview of key findings, the remaining reports reflect the chronological progression of the study, which was undertaken between August and December 2025.
The Literature Review examined existing evidence on workforce capability needs and gaps across WA’s agricultural RD&E sector and informed the design of the sector-wide survey.
The survey attracted 92 respondents from cross-disciplinary middle and senior management positions across the sector. Two priority topics identified through the survey findings were then explored in greater depth through 15 targeted interviews.
Throughout the Needs Analysis, feedback and validation were sought from a Strategic Advisory Group comprising senior and middle managers from key organisations across WA’s agricultural RD&E sector.
Western Australia’s agricultural sector faces significant opportunities and challenges in the years ahead. The Capacity Needs Analysis provides an important evidence base to help industry, government, universities and research organisations understand emerging workforce requirements and identify where future investment is needed to ensure WA remains innovative, productive and internationally competitive.
WAARC has already begun applying these findings to its capacity-building activities and will continue to use them to inform future strategy and investment priorities.
By identifying priority capability areas and workforce development needs, the analysis will help guide future collaboration, capacity-building initiatives and strategic investment to strengthen the long-term resilience of Western Australia’s agricultural RD&E system.
If you’d like more information about this, or any of our other projects, please contact the team.
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