Bega Cheese and Kraft Foods Australia recently reached a multi-million dollar agreement with Bega purchasing the Kraft factory at Strathmerton, in northern Victoria, and Kraft committing to a 10-year supply agreement. Victoria University was invited to scope a training model that would meet the current and planned roles of all staff involved at the BEGA Strathmerton site.
The plant provides cheese cutting, packaging and processing for Kraft’s Australian and New Zealand business through a long term supply agreement. Prior to the Bega purchase, Kraft had been using only about 25,000 tonnes of its capacity after some production moved offshore. Bega Cheese has now commenced growth at the Strathmerton plant with an expectation of doubling production at Strathmerton within the next three to five years. The employment of an additional 100 to 150 people is planned to meet the needs of the expanded production.
A comprehensive training needs analysis was conducted collecting information on the readiness of the staff for current and future cheese manufacture and which will underpin the design of training for the Strathmerton employees now and into the future.
To find out more about this project, contact Carole Petchell, carole.petchell@vu.edu.au, at VU Workforce Development Services.
