This project supports the CRDC Workforce Capacity theme. 10 CRDC-sponsored Horizon Scholarship recipients to attend the 2016 Australian Cotton Conference on the Gold Coast (conference and dinner tickets). RIRDC covered all travel and accommodation costs with shared funding provided by CRDC.

Theme 1 - Workforce Capacity

This CRDC strategic theme area is generally progressing well towards the goal of a skilled, educated and progressive workforce and achieves this through investment in a number of industry scholarships and educational opportunities.

The critical focus over the next three years is to ensure that the challenges identified below in italics are addressed, and that research outcomes result in the desired impact. A quick review of the current state of these challenges is as follows:

• Clearly identifying the role of CRDC and the role of industry: is being addressed through the collaborative development between CRDC and Cotton Australia of the Industry Workforce Development strategy.

• Ensuring the implementation of the Workforce Development Strategy: and integrating cotton specific initiatives with broader rural and agricultural initiatives already in place.

• Measuring the impact of initiatives: and being able to track the long term benefit of initiatives (Scholarships, workshops, conference participation etc.)for the industry

• Ensuring research outcomes flow downstream to growers: and are available through a variety of channels to meet grower information needs.