Spark Your Interest in Macadamias: Two Days, Six Locations, Countless Opportunities

Over two days, 21 senior students from local high schools stepped inside one of Bundaberg’s biggest and fastest-growing industries — macadamias.

The Spark Your Interest program, delivered by Jobs Bundaberg in partnership with the Australian Macadamia Society and Bundaberg Fruit & Vegetable Growers, showcased the industry from seedling to supermarket.

One of Bundaberg’s biggest industries is macadamias, now preparing for massive growth with new farms and processing plants coming online in the next few years. With that growth comes demand for workers across the sector. From potting, grafting and planting through to harvesting, processing, robotics and human resources, there are a range of current vacancies with many new jobs ahead.

The Spark Your Interest program, run by Jobs Bundaberg in partnership with the Australian Macadamia Society and Bundaberg Fruit & Vegetable Growers, took 21 Year 11 and 12 students from two local high schools to gain an appreciation of the industry and its variety of roles.

The program began in the nursery, potting area and grafting shed. For many, the sheer scale of the industry was hard to comprehend, with endless rows of trees stretching as far as the eye could see.

Students then moved through the orchard to the processing facility where nuts are de-husked, sorted and dried. Here they heard from the HR manager about the support roles that keep a farm running, like payroll, safety, accounting, and discovered that farming is far more diverse than the old image of a man on a tractor.

The group visited Macadamias Australia, where Stahmann Webster explained the multitude of roles within their facilities and farms. As a large organisation operating across multiple locations, students also saw how working in the industry could lead to international opportunities.

After lunch in the café, the group travelled to Project Paradise, a high-density orchard that will soon become the largest in the southern hemisphere. A robotic mower named Glider stopped by, giving students a close look at the technology. With 780,000 trees and 2,376 km of rows to maintain (the equivalent of Bundaberg to Adelaide) robotics and machinery maintenance will be vital in the years ahead.

Day 2 started with a tour of Marquee Macadamias, Bundaberg’s largest processing facility, set to double capacity from five to 10 million tons. Students explored the full process from delivery to global distribution, learning about the range of well-paid roles available for both entry-level and skilled workers.

Across the road, students were introduced to agronomy and its importance in soil, nutrients and plant health. They also watched a harvester in action.

Next, at a DPI research farm, students saw trials aimed at improving productivity by reducing soil disturbance during harvesting. The visit concluded with a session on insect life, where students examined trees with magnifying glasses. One Year 11 student proudly thought she had discovered a new insect — only to learn it was a ladybeetle larva.

Back in town, the group debriefed before returning to school.

Spark Your Interest days are about giving students insight into an industry, not immediate job outcomes, but more of a holistic approach to attracting talent to your sector/industry. Pleasingly, by the end of the two days, the number of students considering a farm career had doubled.

Learn More about SPARK