A biologist and a former events manager are both growing their careers at a Werribee South farm.
Emmanuele Zapulla, 34, stepped into a production team leader role at Velisha National Farms during the pandemic.
He has previously worked in events management at Marvel Stadium in Docklands and Crown Melbourne, but was stood down when Covid-19 hit.
Mr Zapulla said a friend suggested he look for employment in farm management instead.
“Here [at Velisha], I am using my operational knowledge to think about how we can alter our production line to increase productivity,” he said.
“The farm is already trialling a new system I came up with that has increased the production of the packing room by 20 per cent.”
Dr Amitoj Singh, a biologist and casual academic at Deakin University, also works as a quality assurance manager at the Werribee South farm.
After completing a PhD on gestational diabetes at Deakin, Dr Singh accepted a role at Velisha National Farms as quality assurance manager.
Dr Singh, 32, said his university students were often surprised to hear that he also worked at a vegetable farm.
“I’m always suggesting horticulture as a field for my science students,” Dr Singh said.
“We need people from diverse work experiences for this sector to continue to thrive.”
Velisha National Farms managing director Catherine Velisha – who is also the recipient of a research scholarship from Hort Innovation – said horticultural businesses were constantly looking to employ people with research, analytical, logistics and management skills.
Hort Innovation, a not-for-profit organisation, has a variety of scholarships and professional development opportunities for new entrants to the horticultural sector and graduates from all educational backgrounds. Details: horticulture.com.au/hort-innovation/
