Grain Mill Workers

ANZSCO ID 831116

Overview

Snapshot

Employed
1,100
Future Growth
N/A
Weekly Earnings
N/A
Full-Time Share
91%
Female Share
5%
Average age
42

Summary

Grain Mill Workers operate machines and perform routine tasks to mix, mill and treat grains and by-products, to make flour, meal, and stockfeed.

Specialisations: Stockfeed Miller.

Formal qualifications are not essential to work as a Grain Mill Worker. Although some workers have a certificate III or IV in rice processing or flour milling.

Tasks

  • Weighs, measures, mixes, and processes ingredients.

  • Monitors product quality before packaging by inspecting, taking samples and adjusting treatment conditions when necessary.

  • Cleans equipment, pumps, hoses, storage tanks, vessels and floors, and maintains infestation control programs.

  • Regulates speed of conveyors and crusher rollers.

  • Moves products from production lines into storage and shipping areas.

  • Packages products.


Outlook

Employment Outlook

JSA produces employment projections to show where likely future job opportunities may be. Employment projections data are only produced for occupations at the broad four digit Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) level. While data are not available for this occupation, projections data are available for the parent occupation, Food and Drink Factory Workers, under the outlook section.


Earnings and hours

Working arrangements

  • Around 91% of people employed as Grain Mill Workers work full-time hours, in all their jobs combined. This is 25 percentage points above the all jobs average (66%).

    Full-time workers work an average of 44 hours per week in their main job. This is the same as the all jobs average.

    Sources:Full-time share and full-time hours: ABS, 2016 Census, customised report. Compared to the all jobs average.


Industries

Main industries

1
Manufacturing
71.8%
2
Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing
13.2%
3
Wholesale Trade
5.8%
4
Transport, Postal and Warehousing
0.7%
5
Other industries
2.6%

Regions

Employment across Australia

NSW

35.2% All occupations: 31.6%

VIC

25.2% All occupations: 25.6%

QLD

19.9% All occupations: 20.0%

SA

11.1% All occupations: 7.0%

WA

6.5% All occupations: 10.8%

TAS

2.2% All occupations: 2.0%

NT

0.0% All occupations: 1.0%

ACT

0.0% All occupations: 1.9%

Employment by State and Territory (% Share)

State Grain Mill Workers All Jobs Average
NSW 35.2 31.6
VIC 25.2 25.6
QLD 19.9 20.0
SA 11.1 7.0
WA 6.5 10.8
TAS 2.2 2.0
NT 0.0 1.0
ACT 0.0 1.9


  • Around 81% of Grain Mill Workers live outside of capital cities, compared with the all jobs average of 38%.

    South Australia and New South Wales have a large share of employment relative to their population size.

    The regions with the largest share of workers are:

    Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Share of workers across Australian states, territories and regions, in this job compared to the all jobs average.


Worker profile

Age and gender

Age In Years
42
All Jobs Average is 40
Female Share
5%
All Jobs Average is 48%
  • The median age of Grain Mill Workers is 42 years. This is similar to the all jobs average of 40 years.

    A large share of workers are aged 35 to 44 years.

    Females make up 5% of the workforce. This is 43 percentage points below the all jobs average of 48%.

    Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile and gender share compared to the all jobs average.

Age Profile (% Share)

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Age Bracket Grain Mill Workers All Jobs Average
15-19 3.3 5.0
20-24 8.2 9.3
25-34 20.9 22.9
35-44 23.7 22.0
45-54 23.4 21.6
55-59 11.7 9.0
60-64 6.2 6.0
65 and Over 2.6 4.2
Median Age 42 40

Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.


Employment Pathways

Education, training and experience

Formal qualifications are not essential to work as a Grain Mill Worker. Although some workers have a certificate III or IV in rice processing or flour milling.

Visit

  • My Skills to compare Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses, providers and student outcomes.
  • AAPathways website to explore Food Processing VET training pathways.

Highest Level of Education (% Share)

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.
Type of Qualification Grain Mill Workers All Jobs Average
Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate 0.3 10.1
Bachelor degree 4.6 21.8
Advanced Diploma/Diploma 4.4 11.6
Certificate III/IV 30.3 21.1
Year 12 19.9 18.1
Year 11 9.1 4.8
Year 10 and below 31.4 12.5

Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.


Skills and Knowledge

Employers look for Food and Drink Factory Workers who are reliable, hardworking and have good people skills.

Skills

Skills can be improved through training or experience.

  • 57%

    Operation monitoring

    Watching gauges, dials, or other indicators to make sure a machine is working properly.

  • 54%

    Operation and control

    Controlling equipment or systems.

  • 48%

    Quality control analysis

    Doing tests and checking products, services, or processes to make sure they are working properly.

  • 43%

    Monitoring

    Keeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.

  • 43%

    Active listening

    Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.

  • 43%

    Critical thinking

    Thinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.

  • 43%

    Equipment maintenance

    Maintaining equipment and deciding what maintenance will be needed in the future.

  • 43%

    Instructing

    Teaching people how to do something.

  • 43%

    Reading comprehension

    Reading work related information.

  • 43%

    Speaking

    Talking to others.

  • 43%

    Time management

    Managing your own and other peoples' time to get work done.

  • 43%

    Troubleshooting

    Figuring out why a machine or system went wrong and working out what to do about it.

  • 41%

    Active learning

    Being able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.

  • 41%

    Complex problem solving

    Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.

  • 41%

    Coordination with others

    Being adaptable and coordinating work with other people.

  • 41%

    Judgment and decision making

    Figuring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.

  • 41%

    Repairing

    Fixing machines or systems.

  • 41%

    Writing

    Writing things for co-workers or customers.

  • 36%

    Equipment selection

    Deciding on the kind of tools and equipment needed to do a job.

  • 34%

    Systems analysis

    Figuring out how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect it.


Knowledge

These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.

  • 68%

    Mechanical

    Machines and tools, including their designs, uses, repair, and maintenance.

  • 60%

    Production and processing

    Raw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and ways of making and distributing goods.

  • 42%

    Public safety and security

    Use of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.

  • 41%

    Mathematics

    Arithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.

  • 40%

    Education and training

    Curriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.

  • 36%

    English language

    English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

  • 30%

    Food production

    Planting, growing, and harvesting food (both plant and animal), including storage and handling.

  • 30%

    Engineering and technology

    Use engineering, science and technology to design and produce goods and services.

  • 29%

    Computers and electronics

    Circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

  • 29%

    Administration and management

    Business principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.

  • 29%

    Chemistry

    Chemical composition, structure, and properties. How chemicals are made, used, mixed, and can change.

  • 26%

    Physics

    The physical laws of matter, motion and energy, and how they interact through space and time.

  • 23%

    Transportation

    Moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road.

  • 23%

    Customer and personal service

    Understanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.

  • 22%

    Building and construction

    Materials, and methods used to construct or repair houses, buildings, or other structures like highways and roads.

  • 22%

    Technical design

    Design techniques, tools, and principles used to make detailed technical plans, blueprints, drawings, and models.

  • 21%

    Clerical

    Word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.

  • 18%

    Law and government

    How our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.

  • 16%

    Personnel and human resources

    Recruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.

  • 11%

    Telecommunications

    Transmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.


Abilities

Workers use these physical and mental abilities..

  • 54%

    Reaction time

    Quickly move your hand, finger, or foot when a sound, light, picture or something else appears.

  • 52%

    Control precision

    Quickly change the controls of a machine, car, truck or boat.

  • 50%

    Near vision

    See details that are up-close (within a few feet).

  • 48%

    Manual dexterity

    Quickly move your hand to grasp, manipulate, or assemble objects.

  • 46%

    Multilimb coordination

    Use your arms and/or legs at the same time while sitting, standing, or lying down.

  • 46%

    Auditory attention

    Pay attention to a certain sound when there are other distracting sounds.

  • 46%

    Perceptual speed

    Use your eyes to quickly compare groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.

  • 46%

    Sorting or ordering

    Order or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).

  • 45%

    Arm-hand steadiness

    Keep your hand or arm steady.

  • 45%

    Categorising

    Come up with different ways of grouping things.

  • 45%

    Far vision

    See details that are far away.

  • 45%

    Oral comprehension

    Listen to and understand what people say.

  • 45%

    Oral expression

    Communicate by speaking.

  • 45%

    Selective attention

    Pay attention to something without being distracted.

  • 45%

    Static strength

    Lift, push, pull, or carry things.

  • 43%

    Hearing sensitivity

    Tell the difference between sounds.

  • 43%

    Problem spotting

    Notice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.

  • 43%

    Rate control

    Change when and how fast you move based on how something else is moving.

  • 43%

    Flexibility of closure

    See a pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) hidden in other distracting material.

  • 43%

    Response orientation

    Quickly choose the right movement of the hand, foot, or other body part when there are two or more different signals (lights, sounds, pictures).


Activities

These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.

  • 78%

    Controlling equipment or machines

    Operating machines or processes either directly or using controls (not including computers or vehicles).

  • 77%

    Handling and moving objects

    Using hands and arms in handling, installing, positioning, moving and manipulating objects.

  • 62%

    Communicating within a team

    Giving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.

  • 57%

    Working with mechanical equipment

    Servicing, repairing, adjusting, and testing machines, devices, moving parts, and equipment.

  • 56%

    Doing physically active work

    Use your arms, legs and whole body, such as climbing, lifting, balancing, walking, stooping, and handling objects.

  • 53%

    Building good relationships

    Building good working relationships and keeping them over time.

  • 49%

    Training and teaching others

    Understanding the needs of others, developing training programs, and teaching or instructing.

  • 49%

    Driving vehicles or equipment

    Running, manoeuvring, navigating, or driving things like forklifts, vehicles, aircraft, or water craft.

  • 48%

    Monitoring people, processes and things

    Checking objects, actions, or events, and keeping an eye out for problems.

  • 48%

    Assessing and evaluating things

    Working out the value, importance, or quality of things, services or people.

  • 47%

    Checking for errors or defects

    Inspecting equipment, structures, or materials for errors, problems or defects.

  • 46%

    Collecting and organising information

    Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or checking information or data.

  • 46%

    Keeping your knowledge up-to-date

    Keeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.

  • 44%

    Making sense of information and ideas

    Looking at, working with, and understanding data or information.

  • 43%

    Checking compliance with standards

    Deciding whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.

  • 43%

    Looking for changes over time

    Comparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.

  • 42%

    Making decisions and solving problems

    Using information to work out the best solution and solve problems.

  • 42%

    Documenting or recording information

    Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.

  • 40%

    Researching and investigating

    Looking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.

  • 40%

    Estimating amounts, costs and resources

    Working out sizes, distances, amounts, time, costs, resources, or materials needed for a task.


Interests and demands

Learn about the daily activities, and physical and social demands faced by workers. Explore the values and work styles that workers rate as most important.

Interests

Interests are the style or type of work we prefer to do. All interest areas are shown below.

  • 100%

    Practical

    Practical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.

  • 71%

    Administrative

    Following set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.

  • 52%

    Analytical

    Ideas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.

  • 29%

    Enterprising

    Starting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.

  • 19%

    Creative

    Working with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.

  • 14%

    Helping

    Working with people. Helping or providing service to others.


Values

Work values are important to a person’s feeling of satisfaction. All six values are shown below.
  • 71%

    Support

    Supportive management that stands behind employees. Workers are treated fairly by their company, they are supported by management, and have supervisors who train them well.

  • 62%

    Relationships

    Serve and work with others. Workers usually get along well with each other, do things to help other people, and are rarely pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.

  • 40%

    Working conditions

    Job security and good working conditions. There is usually a steady flow of interesting work, and the pay and conditions are generally good.

  • 38%

    Achievement

    Results oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.

  • 38%

    Independence

    Work alone and make decisions. Workers are able to try out their own ideas, make decisions on their own, and work with little or no supervision.

  • 38%

    Recognition

    Advancement and the potential to lead. Workers are recognised for the work that they do, they may give directions and instructions to others, and they are looked up to in their company and their community.


Demands

The physical and social demands that workers face most often are shown below:
  • 99%

    Wear common protective or safety equipment

    Wear equipment like safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hard hats or life jackets.

  • 94%

    Exposure to contaminants

    Be exposed to pollutants, gases, dust or odours.

  • 93%

    Face-to-face discussions

    Talk with people face-to-face.

  • 90%

    Loud or uncomfortable sounds

    Be exposed to noises and sounds that are distracting or uncomfortable.

  • 89%

    Dangerous equipment

    Work near dangerous equipment like saws, machinery with open moving parts, or moving traffic.

  • 85%

    Teamwork

    Work with people in a group or team.

  • 82%

    Contact with people

    Have contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.

  • 80%

    Health and safety of others

    Take responsibility for the health and safety of others.

  • 76%

    Consequence of error

    Work where mistakes have serious consequences.

  • 73%

    Frequent decision making

    Frequently make decisions that impact other people.

  • 73%

    Pace of work set by equipment

    Pace of work depends on the speed of equipment or machinery.

  • 71%

    Spend time standing

    Spend time standing at work.

  • 71%

    Using your hands to handle, control, or feel

    Spend time using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools or controls.

  • 69%

    Being exact or accurate

    Be very exact or highly accurate.

  • 69%

    Work at heights

    Work in high places (e.g., on poles, scaffolding, catwalks, or ladders).

  • 67%

    Letters and memos

    Write letters and memos.

  • 67%

    Responsible for outcomes

    Take responsibility for the results of other people's work.

  • 66%

    Time pressure

    Work to strict deadlines.

  • 65%

    Freedom to make decisions

    Have freedom to make decision on your own.

  • 64%

    Outdoors, exposed to weather

    Work outdoors, exposed to the weather.

Occupational Information Network
O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 51-9021.00 - Crushing, Grinding, and Polishing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders.


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