In her latest Land Insights column, Robbie Sefton reflects on key themes from recent conferences including the TMA’s ‘Are We Future Ready?’, calling for a coordinated, national strategy to address regional workforce shortages and retain skilled talent across agriculture and allied industries.
28 August 2025
Insight from: Robbie Sefton
I’ve had the pleasure to attend, and speak at, several conferences in the past few months. I always enjoy the opportunity as each event is a chance to connect with leaders in different fields, many related to agriculture, and gain fresh perspectives on existing issues and emerging challenges.
One of these was the Tractor and Machinery Association of Australia’s (TMA) annual conference, which adopted the theme, Are We Future Ready? A question so many industries are grappling with as the world around us evolves at what can seem like a mind-numbingly rapid pace. And the question itself elicits so many other questions: When we say ‘future’, how far ahead should we be preparing? What will that future look like – in terms of workforce, industry practices, consumer expectations? A little overwhelming in many respects, but at the same time, with every existing industry negotiating this same issue, there’s so many different ideas and perspectives to draw on.
For the TMA, the future is exciting just from the angle of the agricultural machinery companies they represent and the incredible precision agriculture advances already being deployed. Where innovation is concerned, these companies have been focused decades ahead for many years, and the developments in productivity, efficiency and sustainability are evidence of the appreciation they have for how their customers’ businesses will need to evolve.
It could be argued though that this is the easy part if only because of the control they have over their own technology advancements. The trickier and more fluid issues are around the likes of access to skilled labour, changing climate and government policy, which are harder to exert any influence over. But, again, machinery companies are not alone in these challenges as every industry polishes their own crystal ball and considers the way ahead.
When I spoke at the TMA conference, I addressed a number of these issues, including workforce recruitment and retention. It’s not only accessing suitable staff though, it’s creating value for them to commit to the job and the community. In the case of the TMA and its members, with so many machinery dealerships in rural and regional areas, those considering a job offer need to be sold on the many positive aspects to these communities and encouraged to stay once they make the move.
The workforce of the future must also embrace diversity and encourage young people with interesting and challenging career paths, and leadership opportunities. In the background, there’s a need for industries to continue to encourage government to modernise how talent is sourced and cultivated, and create jobs that are affordable and sustainable, through positive and forward-thinking policy decisions.
The TMA is on the front foot with this, launching a careers campaign highlighting the many positives around a career in the ag machinery industry in response to high regional job vacancies. This isn’t just a workforce problem though, it’s a productivity risk. We need a coordinated, national strategy that attracts and retains skilled workers in regional communities; delivers targeted migration where the demand is greatest; and strengthens pathways from schoolyard to shop floor.
Let’s be clear: rural and regional Australia isn’t just open for business - it’s crying out for capability. And when we get the settings right, we see the difference.
