Page 8 - Packaging News Magazine Nov-Dec2020
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   ADVERTORIAL | www.packagingnews.com.au | November–December 2020
APG Workforce adapts to changing labour market in 2020
LABOUR hire specialist APG Workforce, like so many busi- nesses, has adapted to the ever- changing labour market in 2020. Even at the start of the pandemic in March this year, no one could have predicted the effect it would have on the packaging industry.
APG Workforce national business development man- ager Neil Bentham says the industry has gone through a number of phases in terms of labour requirements since the pandemic began.
“The first phase saw increased sales when custom- ers cleared supermarket shelves in a frenzied spending spree, which had a knock-on effect for the packaging indus- try. This was followed by a dip because many people now had all they required. Then came a gradual increase as the packag- ing industry began to return to normal levels, albeit with changes,” Bentham says.
“The first part of the pan- demic saw a surge in demand for food, cleaning products, toilet paper, and more, and this had a major impact on the packaging industry. Overnight
demand for packaging to pro- tect products from contamina- tion occurred so the packaging suppliers needed more staff to meet these needs. This demand for grocery products was cou- pled with a huge decline in the hospitality sector, but overall it was still an increase because many people panicked and bought much more than they required for their normal short-term consumption.
“At APG Workforce, we had to put systems in place to recruit staff without any physi- cal contact, and to redeploy employees from industries that were shut down like the airline industry into the food and packaging industries.
“Thankfully for the packag- ing industry, their products were viewed as essential and many companies had to increase their production of glass, cardboard and plastics around the country to meet demand,” he says.
The huge spike was then fol- lowed by a small decrease when it became clear there would be continued access to supermarkets even during lockdown periods.
Neil Bentham, APG Workforce: This has been a year of adaptation.
  “Since then, the labour mar- ket in the packaging industry has remained fairly steady, which has allowed us to work in our usual way with some of the biggest players in the pack- aging industry,” Bentham says.
While many businesses have struggled during the pandemic, the last eight months has brought new clients to APG Workforce because of the changing nature of the labour market.
“We’ve picked up new clients who’ve never used labour hire companies like ours before. So it’s been a big educational expe- rience for us and them.
“But it’s not over yet. We are also mindful that this year’s Christmas season may be dif- ferent from any other we’ve previously experienced, so we’re ready to adapt as it unfolds,” Bentham says.
APG Workforce is much more than just labour hire. Its services include HR/IR con- sulting, recruitment, risk management, culture manage- ment, training, and safety management.
For more information, or to apply for a role with APG Workforce, visit www.apg- workforce.com.au.
  People are our essence
Safety is our commitment
Build your team with APG Workforce Because people matter.
                                                                                                                                             apgworkforce.com.au 1300 793 340
  












































































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