As the school leavers begin to think about life after exams and career opportunities, if there ever was a time to start a career in the food industry, this is it.
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Australia's largest 100 per cent family-owned meat processing company has a range of employment opportunities for school leavers, young job seekers and anyone wishing to join one of the country's fastest-growing industries.
Thomas Foods International (TFI) is looking to take on more than 130 staff at its Tamworth facility.
The company also has positions available at its sites at Lobethal in South Australia, Stawell in Victoria and Bourke in NSW, not to mention the new Murray Bridge plant currently being built in SA.
These jobs include a range of positions across all aspects of the local operations - from processing workers to trades, maintenance and administration.
TFI 's livestock manager for New England and Central West, Andrew Jackson, began on the floor of the now closed Guyra Abattoir as a 16-year-old schoolboy, working holidays and learning the business from the ground floor up.
Mr Jackson is the fourth generation of his family in the livestock business and said working in an abattoir gave him the grounding and skills for livestock trading.
He said TFI offered great opportunities for young people still at school seeking part-time work and cash flow while learning how the food processing industry, one of the largest employers in Tamworth, works.
"We're working here most Saturdays, so there's always a need for someone to come out and join us," he said.
"There's a tremendous amount of jobs - from the cold stores, the processing floor, the boning room even out the back pushing up the sheep.
"Young people still at school are a demographic that can come out and do some work for us and earn some money as well," he said.
TFI works closely with local schools and the broader community to highlight the variety of available jobs, including apprenticeships and structured training programs.
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"There is no doubt that regional employers are finding the tight labour market a challenge," Thomas Foods International Group Human Relations (HR) general manager Sarah Curran said.
"However, TFI is a dynamic company that provides exciting opportunities for career progression on a local, national and global scale.
"We find that young people are attracted to working in the meat industry for various reasons, including a genuine love of agriculture and farming, job security, the opportunity to learn a trade and career progression.
"We have a dedicated program in place with local schools. This includes allowing students 15 years and older to undertake paid work with us during school holidays.
"We also provide opportunities for unemployed youth through the Jobs Australia Work Ready program, which includes support, skills training and paid work placement.
"Both programs aim to introduce young people into the business with the prospect of further full-time work upon completion."
Many employees in senior management positions at TFI got their start with the company at a young age in entry-level positions before working their way up.
Tamworth's current plant operations manager Rob Munn did just that - having started on the processing floor more than 20 years ago to run the entire facility.
New Starter Incentive Program
Thomas Foods International is also running a New Starter Incentive Program as part of its national recruitment campaign.
Under the program, new employees across all TFI sites in Australia, including Tamworth, can receive up to $1500 in additional cash payments.
The payments are provided in four separate instalments upon successfully completing probation and other milestones over the first year of employment.
At the same time, TFI is running a Referral Incentive Program whereby existing employees can earn up to $1500 in cash payments if someone they have referred joins the business. The payments, like the New Starter Incentive Program, are provided in four instalments over a 12-month period.
For more information on a career at Thomas Foods International, go to: https://thomasfoods.com/careers
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