Central Queensland red meat processor creating new career opportunities for workers
The jobs and career opportunities in red meat processing have been highlighted by Central Queensland beef producers, Blair and Josie Angus, who are attracting dozens of new staff to their processing facility.
Signature Beef is a red meat processing facility 70km from Moranbah in Central Queensland and has been open for nearly a year. To attract workers to the regional facility, Blair and Josie have offered good pay, a good lifestyle and even accommodation for staff.
The accommodation is suited for singles and couples but operates like a small village for workers. And Blair Angus hopes the soon-to-be-finished rugby pitch will impress the 15 Fijian workers due to arrive before Christmas.
The Angus family’s four children all work across their integrated business operations, either managing the family's 35,000 cattle across four properties, the 3,000-head feedlot, the red meat processor, or the Brisbane sales office.
It’s an example of how red meat processing creates a lot more jobs than you might think.
Signature Beef’s business is attracting a range of diverse jobs
Image sourced from ABC Landline: Pip Courtney
A graduate program attracted animal and veterinary bioscience graduate Jackson Scott from Dubbo in New South Wales. Jackson is enjoying life in the new village and she said: “the village is awesome, to be around people from all walks of life from overseas, from next door, it's pretty special.”
Another staff member is agribusiness graduate Arthur Marais, who moved from Dubbo and said of his role in the business: “I get to see the business part of it, the finance part of it, the logistics part of it. I think that's a great advantage."
In the village, Signature Beef offer water skiing, horse riding and sports as leisure activities while the work environment offers a variety of roles. Whether you'd like to be in the paddock mustering, in the feedlot, in the plant, or the office, there is a role to suit everyone.
Blair Angus praises the young staff who have taken a chance and moved to work with and for the business, such as 17-year-old Moranbah local, Jayden Lake.
"Jayden is doing a certificate in red meat processing with us, and he's actually bringing more of his mates on board as well,” Blair said.
It also happens to be Jayden’s first job.
"You gain experience in the workforce, and you learn how to work, work good and hard, and have a good work ethic," Jayden said.
This all just goes to show there are a range of good, well-paying jobs in the industry and that there is a lot more to red meat processing than meets the eye.