Horsham and Wimmera recruitment: professional, technical and trade staff
Hire Australia is a regional recruitment specialist. We help employers in Horsham, Stawell, Nhill, Warracknabeal and across the Wimmera hire professional, technical and trade staff, from graduates to experienced people.
Horsham and the Wimmera at a glance
- of Victoria's mineral sand deposits are in the Horsham region
- 75%
- Horsham and surrounds, as stated in November 2025.1
- of Wimmera Mallee employers who were recruiting found it hard to fill a role
- 52%
- Year to August 2026, well above the Victorian rate of 37%.2
- of the region's workers are in health care and social assistance
- 15%
- 11,500 of 76,800 employed people in the Wimmera Mallee, year to February 2026.3
- unemployment rate, Horsham Rural City
- 2.0%
- June quarter 2026; 2.3% in Northern Grampians.4
Which industries employ the most people in the Wimmera?
Agriculture, forestry and fishing is the largest employer in the Wimmera Mallee employment region, with 12,700 of its 76,800 workers in the year to February 2026.3 Health care, education and construction follow. The employment region also takes in Mildura and the Mallee.
Employed people by industry, Wimmera Mallee employment region (which includes the Mallee), four-quarter average to February 2026.3
| Industry | Employed people |
|---|---|
| Agriculture, forestry and fishing | 12,700 |
| Health care and social assistance | 11,500 |
| Education and training | 7,900 |
| Construction | 5,900 |
| Retail trade | 5,300 |
Which council areas does the Wimmera cover?
Horsham is the regional centre and the largest council area, with Northern Grampians next. Unemployment is low in every shire, which keeps the local pool of available people small.
Estimated resident population at 30 June 20255 and smoothed unemployment rate, June quarter 20264, by council area.
| Council area (main towns) | Population | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|
| Horsham (Horsham, Natimuk) | 20,252 | 2.0% |
| Northern Grampians (Stawell, St Arnaud) | 11,804 | 2.3% |
| Yarriambiack (Warracknabeal, Hopetoun) | 6,295 | 2.8% |
| Hindmarsh (Nhill, Dimboola) | 5,447 | 2.3% |
| West Wimmera (Edenhope, Kaniva) | 3,915 | 2.0% |
How hard is it to find staff in Horsham?
Harder than in most of Victoria. Just over half of the recruiting employers in the Wimmera Mallee, 52%, reported difficulty in the year to August 2026, against 37% across the state.2
Employers put the regional location first, then a shortage of suitable applicants, applicants lacking experience and too few applicants overall.2 With so few people out of work locally, most searches here involve someone changing employer or moving to the Wimmera.
Which roles do we recruit in Horsham and the Wimmera?
Open each role type for local demand, the 2026 national shortage rating, pay, training and what to put in your brief. We treat an occupation as in shortage when it is rated short nationally or in regional areas.
Agriculture, grain and mineral sands
Agronomists, agricultural scientists and technicians, farm managers, mine and processing staff, and the engineers and tradespeople who support them.
- Local employment
- Agriculture, forestry and fishing employed 12,700 people in the Wimmera Mallee in the year to February 2026.3
- Resources
- The Horsham region hosts 75% of Victoria's mineral sand deposits.1
- Shortage
- Agronomists, agricultural research scientists and mining engineers are rated in shortage nationally in 2026; miners are short in regional areas.6
- What to put in your brief
- The crops, livestock or site, the machinery, any fly-in or drive-in pattern and the experience you need.
Health, aged care and disability support
Registered and enrolled nurses, allied health professionals, health managers, and support workers such as assistants in nursing and disability and aged-care support workers.
- Local employer
- Grampians Health has more than 7,000 staff,7 with campuses in Horsham, Stawell, Edenhope and Dimboola as well as Ballarat.8
- Demand
- North-west Victoria, which includes the Wimmera, averaged 116 online job ads a month for medical practitioners and nurses and 30 for health and welfare support workers, three months to September 2026.9
- Shortage
- Aged-care registered nurses, physiotherapists and aged or disabled carers are rated in shortage nationally in 2026; enrolled nurses are short in regional areas.6
- What to put in your brief
- The registration, the campus, the roster, any travel between towns and the support for staff new to the region.
Trades and engineering
Diesel and motor mechanics, fitters, welders, electricians and civil engineers for farm machinery, processing, councils and roads.
- Demand
- The North West region averaged 38 online job ads a month for automotive and engineering trades and 12 for electrotechnology and telecommunications trades, three months to September 2026.9
- Shortage
- Diesel motor mechanics, fitters, first-class welders, electricians and civil engineers are rated in shortage nationally in 2026.6
- Pay (graduate engineers)
- Award minimum: $34.57 an hour for a graduate engineer with a four or five-year degree, Professional Employees Award level 1.1, from 1 July 2026, where that award covers the role (council and black coal roles fall outside it).10 Market median: $59 an hour for civil engineering professionals nationally, May 2025.11
- What to put in your brief
- The trade or discipline, the machinery or projects, the licences and the travel across the district.
Education, community and administration
Teachers, social workers, counsellors, accountants and office staff for schools, councils, community organisations and businesses.
- Local employment
- Education and training employed 7,900 people in the Wimmera Mallee in the year to February 2026.3
- Demand
- The region averaged 50 online job ads a month for legal, social and welfare professionals and 22 for education professionals, three months to September 2026.9
- Shortage
- Counsellors not elsewhere classified are rated short in regional areas in 2026, and taxation accountants nationally; social workers and general accountants are not in shortage.6
- What to put in your brief
- The program or practice, the reporting line, the hours and any outreach to smaller towns.
Graduates trained in the Wimmera
Federation University's Wimmera campus in Horsham focuses on vocational training and has a nursing training centre and construction workshops.12 Federation TAFE delivers training there too.13 Tell us how you will train and supervise a new graduate, and we talk with graduates about that and about building a career in the Wimmera.
How we help you hire in Horsham and the Wimmera
You make the hiring decision and employ the person directly. We handle the search and the organising in between.
Relocation is often part of the hire
Because so few Wimmera people are out of work, many searches need to reach people in Ballarat, Melbourne, Adelaide or interstate who would consider a move. Smaller towns such as Nhill, Kaniva and Edenhope have very small local pools.
Tell us where the role is based, the travel it involves and any vehicle, and we cover those with candidates at the start. When your preferred person is moving, we talk early about housing, schools and any relocation help you offer. If the right person needs a visa or sponsorship, our sister business Australian Immigration Agency can advise.
Looking for work in Horsham or the Wimmera?
Experienced professionals and tradespeople, Federation graduates and people considering a move to the Wimmera can register with Hire Australia. Tell us what you do, when you could start and where you would live, and we'll talk with you about roles that fit.
Talk to us about your next Wimmera hire
Tell us the role, the town and when you'd like the person to start.
Employers pay nothing until the successful candidate has started and stayed two months. Candidates never pay for recruitment.
A FEW PRACTICAL QUESTIONS
Good to know.
Which Wimmera towns does Hire Australia recruit in?
Hire Australia recruits for employers across Horsham and the Wimmera, including Stawell, St Arnaud, Natimuk, Dimboola, Nhill, Warracknabeal, Hopetoun, Edenhope and Kaniva. We recruit professional, technical and trade staff, from graduates to experienced people, and plan each search around the town and the travel involved.
How hard is it to recruit staff in Horsham?
Harder than the state average. In the year to August 2026, 52% of recruiting employers in the Wimmera Mallee had difficulty filling a role, compared with 37% across Victoria, and location was the top reason.2 Hire Australia searches well beyond the Wimmera and raises the move with candidates early.
What does it cost to use Hire Australia?
Employers pay nothing until the successful candidate has started and stayed two months. Candidates never pay for recruitment. You employ the person directly, and we agree the terms with you in writing before the search begins. Hire Australia doesn’t charge to discuss a Horsham or Wimmera role, and there is no upfront payment.
Does Hire Australia have an office in Horsham?
No. Hire Australia is based in Brisbane and recruits for employers across regional Australia, including Horsham and the Wimmera. We start with people who live, study or train in western Victoria, plus people in Ballarat, Melbourne and elsewhere who want a regional move, once we understand your role.
Does Hire Australia offer labour hire or harvest staff in the Wimmera?
No. Hire Australia recruits people you employ directly, in permanent roles. We don’t supply labour hire, harvest crews, temps or contractors in Horsham or the Wimmera, and candidates are never on our payroll. We find and screen people for your vacancy, introduce those who fit, and you employ them yourself from day one.
Can I register with Hire Australia before moving to the Wimmera?
Yes. Register with Hire Australia and tell us your skills, the work you want, when you could start and which Wimmera towns you would consider. We'll talk with you about suitable roles and what living and working in the region involves.
Sources (13)
- Victorian Skills Authority, Horsham and surrounds: training and careers. Data: As stated on the page updated 12 November 2025. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Jobs and Skills Australia, Recruitment trends and employers' needs: State Snapshot update, Victoria combined. Released 22 September 2026. Data: Year to August 2026, 106 responding employers, unweighted; small regional sample, interpret with caution. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Jobs and Skills Australia, Industry profiles, Victoria combined: Employment Region Industry profiles. Published 15 April 2026. Data: February 2026, four-quarter average. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Department of Employment and Workplace Relations, SALM Smoothed LGA Datafiles (ASGS 2025) - June quarter 2026. Data: June quarter 2026. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Australian Bureau of Statistics, Regional population, 2024-25 financial year (Population estimates and components by LGA, 2024 to 2025). Released 31 March 2026. Data: 30 June 2025. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Jobs and Skills Australia, 2026 Occupation Shortage List (6-digit ANZSCO and OSCA). Files dated October 2026. Data: 2026 ratings, ANZSCO 2022 sheet. National ratings; S = shortage, R = regional shortage. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Grampians Health, About Grampians Health. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Grampians Health, Grampians Health home page. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Jobs and Skills Australia, Internet Vacancy Index, ANZSCO 2-digit occupations by GCCSA and SA4 regions. September data released 21 October 2026. Data: Three-month average to September 2026. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Fair Work Ombudsman, Pay Guide - Professional Employees Award [MA000065]. Published 24 June 2026. Data: From the first full pay period on or after 1 July 2026. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Jobs and Skills Australia, Occupation profile, ANZSCO 2332 Civil Engineering Professionals. Data: May 2025, ABS Employee Earnings and Hours (customised report), national median. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Federation University Australia, Explore our campuses. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑
- Victorian Skills Authority, TAFE and training providers in Horsham and surrounds. Accessed 1 November 2026. Back to text ↑