Free technology workshops offered to Queensland prawn industry

As technology becomes increasingly important in the booming aquaculture industry' Queensland prawn farmers' workers' industry stakeholders and future employees are invited to attend a free workshop to get their tech skills up to scratch.

These half-day workshops will introduce the newly developed Prawn Farmers Digital Skills Hub' an online resource packed with information on how technology can be utilised on prawn farms to increase productivity and profitability.

Australian Prawn Farmers Association Executive Officer Kim Hooper said the upcoming workshops will present attendees with a range of tools they can use to give their businesses an edge in a rapidly growing market.

"The value of prawn farming in Queensland is expected to increase to $500 million over the next five years so we really want farms to be running the very best technology that is available'" she said.

"These workshops will help farmers and workers develop the digital capability of their team and themselves' so they are at the cutting edge of what is possible."

"I believe they will be surprised by how easily various technologies can streamline their farm operations and add to their bottom line."

The workshops are being co-led by the Australian Prawn Farmers Association and CQUniversity's Agri-tech Education and Extension team.

CQUniversity Research Lead for the Agricultural Education and Extension Cluster' Dr Amy Cosby said the sessions will be valuable to people already in the aquaculture industry as well as those looking to enter it.

"These sessions will upskill everyone from seasonal or entry level workers through to farmers' senior industry leaders and other stakeholders'" she said.

"We're hoping that once they are introduced to The Hub it will become a valuable resource to them that they can use to continue to upskill and refer to' as well as use as a training resource within their team."

For more information on the upcoming workshops please contact Amy Cosby at ageducation@cqu.edu.au or 0405 824 112.

The project is co-funded by Australian Prawn Farmers Association' Fisheries Research and Development Corporation on behalf of the Australian Government' CQUniversity and the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries' through the Agribusiness Digital Solutions Grants Pro.