The Western Australian Government has opened a new $2 million round of its Regional Traineeship Program, offering a strategic opportunity for agritourism operators to address persistent labour shortages by partnering with local community organisations. The program provides grants of up to $50,000 to Community Resource Centres (CRCs) and select regional Local Government Authorities (LGAs) to help cover the costs of employing a trainee, directly tackling the challenge of building a skilled local workforce.

How the Program Works

The program is not a direct-to-business grant. Instead, it funds CRCs and LGAs to create traineeship positions within their communities. Since its inception, the program has supported 377 trainee placements across the state. This model encourages a collaborative approach to workforce development, where local businesses can play a crucial role in identifying skills gaps and shaping training opportunities.

Regional Development Minister Stephen Dawson highlighted the program’s core objective:

“The Regional Traineeship Program is an important initiative which encourages people to stay and work in their local regional community,” he said.

“The traineeship supports the development of skills and knowledge, based on local business and industry needs.”

A Strategic Opportunity for Agritourism Businesses

For agritourism operators, the key to leveraging this program lies in proactive engagement with their local CRC or Shire. By identifying a specific need within their business—be it in hospitality, marketing, administration, or sustainable agriculture—operators can propose a traineeship role that could be hosted in partnership with one of these eligible organisations.

This approach offers several benefits:

• Reduced Labour Costs: The grant significantly subsidises the cost of bringing on a new trainee, lowering the financial barrier to workforce expansion.
• Tailored Skills Development: Businesses can help shape the training to ensure the trainee develops the specific skills required for their operations and the broader local tourism sector.
• Building a Local Talent Pipeline: Investing in a local trainee helps to build a sustainable talent pool, reducing reliance on transient or fly-in-fly-out labour.

Minister Dawson explicitly called for this type of collaboration.

“I encourage CRCs and eligible LGAs to connect with businesses in their area to explore how the program can help to build job opportunities for their community,” he stated. WAAA members should therefore see this as a direct invitation to initiate conversations with their local community partners.

Words by:

Andy Burns

Andy Burns is a driving force in the Western Australian tourism industry, currently serving as Vice-President of the WAAA. He’s the Founder of Scott Aussie Tourism Marketing, a South West WA-based agency specialising in helping tourism businesses thrive in the digital age. Scott Aussie offers a full range of marketing services, from strategic planning and branding to content creation, social media management, and AI-powered solutions. Andy’s deep understanding of the tourism landscape, combined with his expertise in destination marketing and community engagement, makes him a sought-after advisor, speaker, and trainer. He’s a regular presenter at industry conferences and workshops, sharing his insights on topics ranging from digital marketing strategy to the future of tourism. Andy is also a member of the Manjimup Tourist Bureau and a Councillor at the Shire of Manjimup. His previous leadership roles include six years on the board of Tourism Rockingham and five years as Chair of a Department of Biodiversity Conservation and Attraction (DBCA) advisory committee.