The continuing evolution of technologies and automation of plants has impacted strongly on the staffing needs of maintenance engineering departments in the meat processing industry. These continuing changes have led to the need for more complex and sophisticated skills of maintenance staff to maintain and service the new technologies.

Plants already struggle to resource their maintenance areas due to the limited numbers of skilled and experienced trades persons and engineers in the regional locations of plants, and the increasing competition from other local industries such as mining and agri-food. The continuing and growing demand for more complex and sophisticated skills makes it even more difficult for plants to source labour with the skills they need.