New blood: what are your views on recruiting young people for agriculture?
Producing more food as well as some of our fuel and continuing to improve our landscapes, soils and wildlife are a huge challenge for the agricultural industry. The industry will have to achieve these goals for increasingly discriminating consumers in volatile world markets and against a background of, often unpredictable, climate change. We can do this only by recruiting the very best young people who can tackle the future with knowledge and imagination. This discussion starts with views from inside and outside the industry. We hope you will add your ideas to the discussion by emailing your views to membership@rase.org.uk
The aim of his project is to create a publication which stimulates debate on the issue of recruiting young people into the industry. For example, are we doing enough? Are we conveying an accurate image of modern agriculture? Does the message reach the audiences it needs to?
The project starts with two keynote articles, one from outside and one from inside the industry and continues with further contributions and thoughts as the project progresses. Your comments at any stage are invited.
Read on to find out what the following contributors have said:
Sir Mike Tomlinson, former Chief Inspector of Schools
Guy Smith, an Essex farmer and journalist
David Leaver, Emeritus Professor of the Royal Agricultural College
Richard Clarke, a graduate of Reading University
Rosie Carne, Marketing Manager for Yara UK Limited
Alan Spedding met Sir Mike Tomlinson who was Chief Inspector of Schools and is currently Chief Adviser of London Challenge which aims to raise the standard of secondary education in London. He was also instrumental in devising and implementing the Year of Food and Farming. These notes summarise Sir Mike’s views about how farming can attract the very best people to face the challenge of the future.
Farming is complex, technical, challenging and satisfying
Agriculture is widely seen from outside as strong in problem-solving and the application of science and technology but weak in public relations and communication skills. It needs to fix its public face.
To attract recruits, the industry needs to get across a more comprehensive picture which covers its opportunities and problems in detail rather than simply focussing on the areas it is proud of. It needs to foster intelligent and informed discussion and not shy away from areas which are difficult to describe.
Intensive farming, in particular, needs explaining. Crop production can produce high yields using chemical fertilisers and pesticides without harming wildlife and polluting water but it needs careful handling of powerful products.... Most of our eggs and poultry meat come from housed systems which use precious grain very efficiently and work at high standards of hygiene and animal welfare... Outdoor poultry are difficult to manage, are costly to keep and also need careful management to ensure high standards of hygiene and welfare... and so on.
There is scope for discussion among students about what constitutes good animal welfare here and how it all fits in the world’s demand for food. It’s a discussion which is a bit more subtle than the anthropomorphic simplicities put forward by many animal welfare organisations.
The industry needs one respected channel to pass this information through to ensure that information is up to date, accurate and concise. This should be a role for FACE.
With the Year of Food and Farming putting the agriculture under the spotlight it is a good time to move the image of the industry forward.
Meeting society’s needs
The industry must show how it meets society’s needs – essential food, fuel, leisure, wildlife, landscape etc. People do not understand how technical farming is nowadays. Its people must be well qualified in knowledge and problem-solving skills to cope with important new challenges. Agriculture is not currently being put across like this.
Case studies are a good way of getting the complexities of real situations across.
Encourage school visits to farms and ongoing and deeper relationship between farms and schools. Some farms could almost become school farms.
Use the internet to get lots of information across and change and update it often.
Agriculture needs to counter limited-issue pressure groups better. They have an easier job seeming clear and decisive with only a few issues to talk about. Farming needs to cope with the challenge of being more holistic, bringing out more complex arguments and explain it all in the context of global issues.
Information needs to be targeted at three audiences, teachers, pupils, families (and friends) and they need to get information in different ways.
Understand new patterns of work
Young people going into work nowadays are not looking for a single career and pension. It has been said that the average twenty year old will change jobs six times. Agriculture needs to be able to offer jobs which fit in with these realities, by giving shorter term opportunities and by encouraging people to progress by developing the challenge in their jobs and through lifelong learning backed up by quality-assured records which can be recognised on their CVs.
Conditions of employment, especially housing, are very important. Pay often needs to be better, more in keeping with the responsibilities given and the skills needed. Involvement in business decision making also helps.
More focus should be on 11-14 year-olds – that is the stage at which they begin to think about what jobs they might want. After 14 years old information needs to get more specific as they focus in on the details. It’s important to get across the point that not just farmers’ kids become farmers.
A land-based and environmental Diploma for 14 and 16 year olds will be available from September 2009. It is vital that the industry plays a key role in determining the content and the land-based colleges lead on the plans for delivery in schools and colleges.
Guy Smith is an Essex farmer and journalist and was awarded the Society’s Outstanding Communicator Award in 2007. He has been a consistent and eloquent voice in putting forward a better image of farming and persuading his colleagues in the industry to do likewise. He is responsible for the Food, Farm and Countryside booklet project which provides positive literature to anyone in a position to hand it out to the non-farming public (300,000 have been distributed since 2006). He has also been instrumental in the FACE/NFU school packs that have gone out to 15,000 schools since its launch in autumn 2007 and the Essex Food and Farm schools day which seeks to give 3000 primary school children a day out to learn about food and farming.
Guy Smith writes...
There was a striking headline on a BBC web-site last summer. It went something like – “First low prices, then floods and now Foot and Mouth Disease. Is this the worst job in the world?” Of course the job in question was farming. My mental reaction was “Farming the worst job in the world? Don’t be ridiculous.”
I wouldn’t deny for a minute that farming as a job is not without its frustrations and its difficulties. The two things that largely dictate our fortunes, farm gate prices and the weather, are largely out of our hands. The other problem is that because over the last century we have got so clever and efficient at what we do then the corollary to that is that our industry is always losing farmers. In 1900 we were a profession of 400,000 and now some estimate we are well below 100,000 (although admittedly the figure is confused by part-time and hobby farmers). That means many of us work under the sword of Damocles thinking that this year may be our last. Also there is the knowledge that many of our neighbours have thrown in the towel.
Nonetheless, farming remains a great job that many outside the industry would love to have. As farmers we often get too wrapped up in our lives. We forget to count our blessings. I am sure that for most of us a month working in an inner city school or on a production line would do much to remind ourselves how lucky we are.
Of course the propensity of farmers to moan about their lot is as old as the hills themselves. It is part of our stereo-type. In one analysis this miserable reputation doesn’t do us any harm. Communal whingeing can be a good way to share one’s problems and thus cope with the ‘slings and arrows of outrageous fortune’ that farming sometimes hurls in our direction.
But in another analysis I think this nauseating tendency to self-pitying is deeply, deeply damaging to our industry. Not just because of the negative impact it has on ourselves but primarily it must do much to put off young blood from considering a career in agriculture.
When I see headlines like the one I mentioned at the outset of this piece or when I see farmers bemoaning their lot in the media I always think to myself: “What would the average seventeen to eighteen year old A level student make of this?” Would it encourage them to consider a career in agriculture? One suspects not. While it may be honest of farmers to flag up their troubles in public I would much rather be part of an industry known for its success stories rather than one that seems to be in permanent crisis.
If we present ourselves as a failing, basket-case, problematic industry then we should not be surprised then that in twenty years time we are peopled accordingly. If on the other hand we want to be staffed by dynamic, go-ahead, positive, can-do people then we would do well to suggest that today and tomorrow we are the sort of industry that can will make dynamic, go-ahead, positive, can-do youngsters feel they have found their calling.
When I am sometimes asked why I went into farming I always like to answer that I met a farmer who knew cheap family labour when he saw it. It’s not really true but I recognise that farming is dominated by the tradition of family succession and I am one such example. Despite this, the simple fact is that our industry also needs injections of blood from outside to keep it healthy. My father was of the view that one reason why farming was so successful in the post-war period was that the shake up of the war had meant that many from non-farming backgrounds chose to come into the industry. Suddenly people with backgrounds in engineering or surveying were found running farms. Even more disturbing, women from urban back-grounds, who had arrived on farms through the WLA, were having an impact on the management of farming. I am sure it was all very discomforting for the existing incumbents but I am also sure it was a very beneficial influx of new thinking and new influences.
And so I come to the crux of this piece (thank the lord for that I hear you cry). As farmers we must always try to see ourselves as other see us and not just as we would like to be seen. There are a number of good reasons for this but probably most important is the realisation that the way we project ourselves is key to attracting the brightest young boys and girls who are considering now what their chosen profession might be.
Finally I will leave you with one last anecdote which also illustrates this point. A couple of years ago I wandered into a tent at a county show. One half was run by the young farmers and the other half by a well know farming organisation. The latter dominated their area with large posters illustrating how many farmers had been lost to the industry in the previous decade. It was a fair point but, by golly, was it in the wrong place. It made me think of a parallel scenario. The British army suffers casualties every year. These losses are very serious affairs and should be the concern of many of us and those that govern us. But the point is that when I see British army recruitment posters I never see mention of the casualty lists, all I see are images of the army being a rewarding, exciting profession that recruits the most able. Although we don’t realise it, British farming has its own recruiting sergeants – it is the farmers themselves. It really is time we took this job a bit more seriously and thought about the image we project to the next generation. Farming has its problems but probably no more than other industries. Why then do we allow ourselves to be portrayed as a problematic, failing, industry?
A Viewpoint from David Leaver, Emeritus Professor of the Royal Agricultural College
A dynamic and competitive agricultural industry is needed to face the future challenges of food security and the industry will have to operate within the constraints required to satisfy the growing demands of environmental stewardship. For this we shall require producers who are progressive, entrepreneurial and have outstanding business management skills, and they will be supported by a highly skilled operational workforce. But whilst there are many good examples of good young people coming into the industry and making their mark, are there enough and do we have the organisation and infrastructure in place to sustain our industry in a competitive global market?
The Leitch Review looking at the long-term skill requirements of the country highlighted the problem of low productivity of UK industries compared with other countries, and emphasised that future productivity will increasingly be driven by the skills level of the workforce. UK agriculture also has a problem as it was in the premier league for growth of productivity until the mid- 1980’s, but since that time has lagged behind other countries such that we are now towards the bottom of the league . It is not too surprising therefore that this loss of competitiveness with other countries has been associated with a decline in self-sufficiency in food (that we can produce in this country) of over 1% per year during the last decade. There is a range of factors which have disadvantaged UK agriculture during this period, but one of the underlying factors is almost certainly the education and skills training of the workforce at all levels.
Tertiary education (further and higher education) holds the key to the future provision of outstanding young people for the industry. However we have been through a long period of decline in agricultural education provision with farm institutes and colleges switching to non-farming subjects, the loss of highly influential higher education (HE) colleges such as Wye College and Seale Hayne and loss of agriculture schools and departments within large universities.
However, the loss of provision in colleges and universities only reflects the decline in student demand. A recent ‘Review of provision for land-based studies’ carried out by the Higher Education Funding Council for England showed that whilst total student numbers in ‘land-based’ studies were about 12,000, only about 4,000 of these were studying agriculturally-related subjects. This means that only about 1300 students are graduating each year with agriculturally-related degrees. Although this review was for England only, when it is set against the UK totals of 344,000 full- and part-time farmers, partners, directors and spouses plus 15,000 salaried managers and 107,000 full- and part-time workers in the industry, it provides a disappointing indication of the new-blood potential of the industry. This analysis of degree-level provision is however in line with the existing educational background of those in the industry. The recent Defra review of ‘Agriculture in the UK 2007’ shows that only 12% of farmers and managers have been through full-time agricultural training.
When young people are planning a career and looking at alternatives, the job market is no different from any other market place, and agriculture will only attract good young people if there is seen to be an attractive career available for them. This was emphasised in the recent Viewpoint articles by Sir Mike Tomlinson and Guy Smith. The agricultural industry which has been under great pressure for the last decade has almost inevitably sent out negative messages that will have influenced potential students, parents and school career advisers as well as farmers’ sons and daughters against future careers in agriculture. Nevertheless this is changing, and increasingly we are seeing an approach to marketing by the industry as Guy Smith advocated in his article, of taking on board the line from Robert Burns ’to see ourselves as others see us’.
For many young people agriculture is seen as being not particularly well paid, involving hard physical work and unsocial hours. These negative images of agricultural work are no longer a true reflection of many farm situations, and the best counter to such criticisms is to demonstrate what really happens on progressive farms, and promote strongly the positives of being involved with agricultural work.
One career attraction, particularly for the 45% of young people who go through higher education is for their chosen path to be both respected and professionally recognised. It is hoped therefore that the present discussions taking place in the industry regarding professional recognition combined with a coordinated continuing professional development programme are not allowed to founder due to disinterest and lack of vision about the future.
If we genuinely wish to reverse the downward trend in agricultural productivity and competitiveness we need to both attract outstanding young people into the industry, as well as put greater emphasis on the need for continuing skills training for those already in the industry. It must be remembered that the vast majority of those who will be working in the industry over the next 30 years have already left formal education.
The recent publicity given to the global imbalance of food supply and demand will lead to food security being higher on the national agenda and agricultural productivity and competitiveness will become much higher priorities. This in itself will send out some of the positive messages about the future of the industry needed to attract young people to careers in agriculture.
To bring about change however, requires leadership from the industry, from educational providers and from government, and the need to improve agricultural productivity and competitiveness must be the driver for this change. We need to see:
- The industry marketing itself positively, promoting not only its future importance to the country’s food supply and environmental stewardship, but also its requirement for highly motivated people with high levels of skill at all levels.
- Colleges and universities working in close coordination with the industry to develop and promote courses that will be relevant in this new and challenging era of the global marketplace and emphasising the importance of land-use to food and energy supplies. This should be aimed not only at young people, but also at providing training opportunities for those in work.
- Government providing the necessary impetus and incentives for educational institutions to follow this path. In addition, innovation and R&D are essential components of a progressive industry, and there is a need for a complete reappraisal by government of their policies for support of agricultural R&D.
David Leaver, 29 May 2008
New Blood – a contribution to the discussion from Richard Clarke
Richard Clarke is a graduate of Reading University. His career has included 20 years working as Farm Manager of a livestock and arable farm in Berkshire and a similar period in farm consultancy work. Richard is currently Chairman of Waldersey Farms Ltd, a large scale arable operation in East Anglia and Vice Chairman of the Institute of Agricultural Management.
As a young boy I wanted to be a farmer. I lived with my grandparents in Suffolk where my grandfather was a farm worker. Even after we’d moved away, going back to stay with him during school holidays was all I wanted. Consequently, it felt like a natural progression for me to go from grammar school to Reading and read Agriculture. All those hours spent on a Suffolk farm made me ignore the warnings from my school careers master and others about how poor salaries were in farming.
Since university, I have been exceedingly fortunate in having a most satisfying, challenging and exciting career in the industry. And despite some difficult times I can say that I always looked forward to and enjoyed my work. In this I do not believe I am alone. Most farmers and farm workers I know relish their work and thrive on it. They truly enjoy what they do.
But why? Why precisely are there a whole load of farmers and farm workers out there who love their jobs and would never consider doing anything different? In my view it is the answer to this question which will provide the key to encouraging more young people into farming. This is the message we want to get across to those young people, this is the perception of farming and farmers we want them to have.
So here is the answer you will get from all these dedicated men and women in farming, all with their own variations but the theme is the same:
- Because farmers work outdoors, they grow crops and look after their animals. They produce the food we eat. They deal on a daily basis with the weather, care for and look after their animals, with machinery, equipment and technology, grappling with new developments and all the problems and solutions these bring.
- Farming is a practical, hands on job with heaps of variety. It doesn’t involve sitting in an office all day, no 9 to 5 urban grind. It’s about watching and learning from year to year, tuning in to seasonal differences. And to be a decent farmer you have to have concerns for the environment, for animal welfare and for wildlife all uppermost in mind.
Such an answer, conveyed loudly and convincingly to young people, may begin to counter the negative image so often presented by the media and by farmers themselves.
So the message is that working in agriculture is satisfying, rewarding, enjoyable, has an identifiable career structure and has lots of plus factors against urban or industrial alternatives.
Traditionally farming was a low pay sector. Well things have moved on and we now have a much reduced work force utilising advanced equipment and facilities generating outputs per capita which compare favourably with industrial counterparts. Remuneration in farming is now reflecting the skills and expertise of the workers. What’s more, the normal forces of supply and demand are playing their part – the reality now is of an industry which may be limited in its production capabilities by the availability of skilled workers. The low pay myth needs to be laid to rest.
I believe public perception of farming may not be quite as poor as many in the industry feel and moreover I see signs of this perception changing. There is a large section of the population who understand rural and farming matters and who are sympathetic to and supportive of the farming sector. They and many, many others are becoming increasingly aware of the way major retailers have managed to keep food prices down for the British public by squeezing farmers and growers. All this with the open support of a government which appears to value price more than provenance.
But our world is changing. Food supply has become a huge global issue, in but a few months we have seen the era of cheap food recede. For some in the world even the availability of basic commodities has become critical. Suddenly farming and issues of food production are being recognised as of vital importance.
So timing on the issue of attracting new entrants is good, there is a window of opportunity to set the record straight and start to bring in the new blood on which the future of the farming depends.
Let us be clear that there is no “quick fix” to bringing bright and energetic young people in to the industry, the process must be long term, well planned and co-ordinated with strong and effective management.
The starting point is in schools, giving the youngest age groups a basic understanding of farming and food production and thereafter to build upon this. Current initiatives which are underway are excellent, to maximise effect and benefit they need “champions” locally who lead and promote as Guy Smith has done in Essex. Any activities which bring the general public on to farms all helps the understanding process, farm open days are invariably a success (with or without help from the weather) and of course are well attended by parents with their children.
The farming industry is fortunate in having a highly competent resource in terms of Agricultural Colleges, Universities and Training Agencies which are well placed and capable to provide learning and skills for new entrants at all levels. The planned land-based and environmental Diploma for 14 to 16 year olds is in prospect an excellent introduction for those with a view to joining the industry.
To be successful the process needs to have farmer leadership and be driven by farmers to create, throughout the industry, a culture of learning and skills, the NFU is the body through its membership to provide the necessary structure. Funding will be required but the industry should not wait for government funding rather push on and show a belief in the future. I have no doubt given the importance of this project both public and charitable funds will be forthcoming to finance the costs involved.
Young people entering the industry at whatever level need to have a view of career progression, a difficult matter for an industry made up of many relatively small businesses. Ongoing learning and skills training is essential in order to utilise rapidly advancing technology and processes, to maintain quality and assurance and not least to maintain the financial efficiency of the business. Improving knowledge and skills means more profit!
The logical route to take this forward seems to be by way of farmer groups within an area who determine their requirements and priorities which will probably be “on farm” focus for training. If the structure is in place it is a small step to formalise the training to a record of learning and development. Sector Bodies from the Agricultural and Horticultural Development Boards should play a key role in the process, much of the training will be sector based, the Boards have the structure and are in a position to influence.
For those leaving Universities and Higher Education Colleges with aspirations to management positions there is currently something of a professional vacuum. Other professionals know their route is into their Professional Body but such an organisation does not exist in agriculture. The Institute of Agricultural Management with a number of like-minded bodies are seeking to remedy this by setting up a Professional Body for Agriculture with the objective of promoting excellence in agriculture and land based stewardship and business development through personal development. The vision of PBA is the development of the professional image for the industry and promoting the integrity of British agriculture. Individual members would be expected to be far-sighted and demonstrate leadership within farming and associated agricultural industries. For avoidance of doubt let me emphasise this is intended as an inclusive organisation which while supporting formal qualifications is also aware some of our best farmers left school at an early age, perhaps this group is the best example of life long learning!
To summarise:
- There is a window of opportunity
- The Industry must be proactive and positive in communication, actively set out to create a new image
- Farming is a success story, being involved is satisfying and rewarding
- Recruitment requires a focus on schools, the teachers and the children from an early age
- To achieve objectives will require Leadership and Organisation
- Farmers should provide the Leadership
- Education and Training Bodies are in place to facilitate implementation
- Recognition of Career structures and Continued Learning and Development should be recognised and become the norm in the industry
R M Clarke
29 May 2008
A point of view from the supply industry from Rosie Carne
It was the final line of challenges in Alan Spedding’s
introduction to the New Blood topic which I want to address:
“We want to know whether we are doing enough to promote agriculture as a
desirable career. Are we conveying an accurate image of modern agriculture? Does
the message reach the audience it needs to? “
I work for an agricultural supply industry company - and I can see from the adverts in the farming press that we are not alone- currently trying to recruit commercial and technical people to join a well established blue-chip company. We have traditionally looked within the agricultural industry for agriculturally related subject graduates through advertising in the farming press, and for new graduates at universities.
As an example a current advert says:
“We are looking for an enthusiastic, confident and committed person to join our sales team as a Trainee Area Manager. Training and mentoring will be provided. In due course, you will have responsibility for the sale of products in an area of the UK. You will be educated to degree level or equivalent, ideally within agriculture, with some UK agricultural background and/or exposure to the UK agriculture industry, have good inter-personal skills, sound financial awareness, good administrative skills, and be computer literate ideally in Microsoft products. Geographical mobility is essential, as is a valid driving license. A company car will be provided. We will offer a competitive salary & benefits package. Relocation assistance is available”.
The response in both calibre and number of applicants has been hugely disappointing.
It appears the answers to the above challenges could be: “No, no and no?”
Are we conveying an accurate image of modern agriculture?
Previous contributors to the New Blood discussion have made very valid comments about the issue of poor communications meaning conventional farming is misunderstood by the non farming, non rural general public leading to misinformed pressure groups making things worse. Excellent schools information provided by Guy Smith’s booklets, the NFU, FACE, and WFU publications, the proactive LEAF and other farmer run initiatives, and the City and school farms are all chipping away at the misconceptions. Some supermarkets are doing their bit. Recruitment does require focus on schools, the teachers (particularly the teachers) and the children from an early age. History has shown the value of people from non- farming backgrounds coming in to the industry. The media has never been more influential- if only John Humphrys had the same passion for the NFU he has for the Soil Association how better informed everyone would be! So yes we are trying to convey an accurate image of modern agriculture but to achieve success you need open and receptive ears. Do we need a role model for agriculture? Just think what a mainstream media communicator who championed the 97% of British farm practice could achieve.
There is no “quick-fix”, but we are at a very important moment. We are an increasingly high-tec highly regulated industry with a window of opportunity to attract attention. Since about February, when the Government at last realised and was prepared to recognise the importance of UK produced food, farming is in the headlines for the right reasons. High energy prices and other global mega trends mean the likely end of cheap food and increasing interest in individuals and industry behaviour. Farming has a good story to tell. It does ‘practice with science’. We mustn’t allow the loony views that cows are greater polluters than aeroplanes to have credence. If fossil fuels are in short supply there is a case to accelerate the development of hydrogen for transport in able to devote more towards making nitrogen fertilizer- to feed our children and grandchildren in the world of 2050. You might say I would say that wouldn’t I, but think about it…
We want to know whether we are doing enough to promote agriculture as a
desirable career.
Guy Smith made the point that British farming has its own recruiting sergeants-
the farmers themselves. Well for very understandable reasons those recruiting
sergeants have been actively not just taking leave from this role but canvassing
against it. I remember hearing a well- known farming correspondent back in the
late 1990’s say, “that encouraging your child to go in to farming was tantamount
to child abuse”! I met the said farming correspondent at “Cereals 2008” with
that ‘abused child ‘who are now both enjoying the current fruits of a successful
farming business. A recent applicant explained his degree was in geography,
rather than agriculture, because four years ago his father persuaded him his
employment chances would be greater. Luckily daddy isn’t always right and
luckily not all sons take any notice of what dad says…
But seriously, hereby we have the current recruitment problem. There has been no enthusiasm, confidence or commitment (see the words in my advert) to join the farming industry but with good reason. Since the mid 1990’s farming industry incomes have gone down. All have had to cut costs and while farmers have tightened their belts and addressed their fixed costs, shareholders of plc’s demanded plant closures, cost cutting -which means people- and redundancies. We have had a decade of only essential recruitment. A decade with a declining graduate output (David Leaver says only 1300/annum), which by the time you take out the home- returning farmers leaves very few for the supply industry.
Filling the professional vacuum caused by agriculture not having a “Professional Body” would appeal to those moving successfully through the industry, but is its absence a barrier to recruitment? I wonder. I personally hope the Institute of Agricultural Management’s vision of a Professional Body for Agriculture is realised but we do have the Fellowship of the Royal Agricultural Societies, do we need to reinvent the wheel when we could update the vehicle?
Recruitment also needs pride. How can we make a proud parent say, “My child
is going to go in to farming, let alone the agricultural supply industry…”
You do only attract good people if you can offer an attractive career. I believe
sectors of the agricultural supply industry can do that now but it is a recent
phenomenon. Practical farming does have a bright future for the innovative and
entrepreneurial operators- and other contributors have identified some necessary
routes to open up access to farming. Wonderful projects like that at Kirkley
Hall, mentioned by Mike Keeble, and other institutions provide training and
leadership by example. Leadership and management courses like those organised by
the Worshipful Company of Farmers provide mid career development opportunities.
But labour on farm is declining and it seems we don’t want to do the more
mundane tasks now being filled by migrant labour. In a world where demand is
outstripping supply, variable costs including input prices will continue to be
high but the advice about their use to give maximum return from investment will
become even more valuable to the user. This brings me to Alan’s third point:
Does the message reach the audience it needs to?
We have Awards recognising individuals and businesses and celebrating excellence
but it is all very “in-house”. Being part of a small industry though it punches
well above its weight has disadvantages. It is largely speaking to itself. The
agricultural industry has so many disparate groups, too often working on common
themes but scared their particular ‘lobby issue’ will be lost in the general
noise. Joined -up thinking as well as convergence of organisations would lead to
a more efficient industry. The brand “UK farming plc” is what we should all be
building, promoting and living up to, but let’s get back to recruitment. To
rephrase my advert:
“We are looking to give the opportunity to an enthusiastic, confident and
committed person to represent the company and have the privilege of working
directly with the CEO’s of a large number of British businesses, helping them
add value and achieve success whilst meeting societies needs.” (For CEO read
farmer).
That could be the description for a job in the supply industry. Perhaps we
should look beyond advertising in the Farmers Weekly?
Rosie Carne, BSc MBPR FRAgS is Marketing Manager for Yara UK Limited & Vice
President of Public Affairs for Yara International ASA. These are her personal
views and not necessarily those of Yara.
26 June 2008
Skills development in the pig industry – a
template for the rest of farming?
Richard Longthorp and Tess Howe
Richard Longthorp is a member of the BPEX Ltd Board (BPEX Ltd is focused on enhancing the competitiveness, efficiency and profitability of pig levy payers in England). He is also Chairman of the Pig Industry Training Strategy Implementation Group. He produces free range pigs under the high welfare Freedom Foods scheme in Nottinghamshire and Yorkshire, and farms 1,800 acres at Howden in East Yorkshire.
Tess Howe is the BPEX Ltd Skills Development Manager, responsible for delivering the Pig Industry Skills Development Strategy across England.
This article is summarised from ‘Sustainability in the Pig Industry’ which will appear later in the year in the Journal of the Royal Agricultural Society of England.
The pig sector only gets minimal CAP support and has been under pressure over the last few years largely because of low prices for pig meat. Against this background the industry has worked together to develop and run a skills development strategy which could serve as an example of the way forward for other agricultural sectors.
The strategy aims ‘to propagate and promote a culture that recognises the central role that investment in staff training and continual professional development (CPD) play in the improvement of business performance and competitiveness within the English pig industry...’
Three objectives are contributing to the success of the strategy:
1. The development of a flexible, accessible skills and
qualification structure.
2. The provision and promotion of an attractive environment for a
progressive career in the pig industry.
3. The promotion of skills development as being central to business
improvement.
As other articles in this discussion have shown skills development in agriculture has always suffered from low levels of uptake. Although the industry has dedicated training resources available through the land-based college network and private providers, there has never been a co-ordinated approach to skills development.
Traditionally, skills development programmes have focussed on the workforce, practical skills and the requirements of legislation, but it is vital that they also address business development, management, leadership and sustainable development.
Cost can be one of the main factors affecting uptake and in an industry that is reducing staff numbers, releasing staff for training, even for a half day, can prove difficult.
Having gauged producer attitudes to training and qualifications, the National Pig Association and BPEX, in association with Lantra (the Sector Skills Council) and NPTC (National Proficiency Tests Council), generated a new suite of qualifications, the Pig Industry Certificates of Competence which has three stages:
Stage 1 – Certificate of Competence in Basic Stockmanship and Welfare (Pigs);
Stage 2 – Certificate of Competence in Pig Husbandry Skills;
Stage 3 – Certificate of Competence in Pig Unit Supervision and Operation
Each stage comprises a number of modules, ensuring the qualification is manageable and relevant to the individual. Qualification for the certificates can come from formal teaching or on-farm activities. Passing the qualification requires candidates to answer multiple-choice questions and undergo practical examination in their own place of work. This approach allows some of the barriers to assessment such as nervousness over literacy skills or unfamiliar surroundings to be broken down.
For each certificate, in-depth training manuals have been produced for both the trainee and trainer. Importantly the system allows experienced stockmen to gain formal qualifications for their existing skills and this has been key to instigating a thirst for further development in people often disillusioned with training.
Less formal methods of skills development are also used. Producer Clubs encourage the sharing of experiences and discussion of challenges. The use of workshops specifically for stockmen has also been successful, helping them to recognise their knowledge, feel less isolated and improve their confidence and productivity. In addition these activities provide updates on new technology and legislation in a friendly environment which ensures that everyone can understand and absorb the information.
The Pig Industry Professional Register (PIPR) is a key feature of the strategy. It provides a Continuous Professional Development (CPD) scheme which records and recognises skills and professional development, promotes a professional image of the industry, for individuals it provides a clear picture of what personal development is all about, it develops respect in the industry for those participating, and more directly it raises profitability and helps recruitment.
We believe that examples of current best practice like the Pig Industry Skills Development Strategy must be brought together and aligned with the emerging government skills strategies and retailer requirements to cover the whole industry. This will be no short-term fix; it will require a sustained effort by all parties and it may take several years for the industry to embrace all that is inherent within CPD fully. The development of a skilled and professional industry across the board will help it to build a reputation which attracts the best young people as potential recruits.
Encouragingly, the National Farmers Union has now firmly nailed its colours to the skills mast and the newly formed Agricultural and Horticultural Development Board is also investigating how it might most appropriately promote the skills agenda within its sector companies.
With agriculture arguably on the cusp of a new Golden Age and a greater appreciation by government and society that the availability of food should never be taken for granted, there can be no better time for the industry to embrace skills development and enjoy its benefits.
Further information
From Sustainability to Sustained Ability – strategy for continuous professional
development for the pig industry in England
http://smartstore.bpex.org.uk/articles/dodownload.asp?a=smartstore.bpex.org.uk.11.4.2008.8.38.25.pdf&i=295191
BPEX Ltd:
www.bpex.org.uk
New Blood in Farming
From Rachel Harrison, Communications Co-coordinator and Jenny Stokes, Teacher
Professional Placement Co-ordinator both of Connexions Coventry & Warwickshire
Connexions provides careers advice and guidance to young people aged 13-19, and
up 24 for individuals with Special Educational Needs, in schools and colleges
across England. Staffed by qualified advisers, the service provides young people
with impartial advice on a whole range of careers and courses covering all
industries. In addition to this, Connexions provides information and support to
help young people access a range of additional support services to help them
deal with any problems they may come up against.
How far do people in the Connexions service understand the farming industry?
The knowledge base of Connexions personal Advisers is vast and keeping pace with
changes in the world of work is crucial if they are to pass up-to-date knowledge
on to young people.
The agriculture, food and farming sector, like many other industries, has
undergone major changes in its working practice; and the skills and knowledge
demanded of young people entering the sector, compared to 10 years ago, have
changed considerably.
Improving industry knowledge
In Coventry & Warwickshire, the Connexions service prides itself on its
involvement with employers and runs a number of programmes and events with
employers and organisations that support them, to help both teachers and
advisers learn more about industry.
A series of Professional Development Placement Days, organised in partnership
with the local Education Business Partnership, act as a key way to enhance
knowledge. The placements involve advisers and teachers spending a day in
industry where they meet experts working in a sector.
One of our successful placement days, running over a number of years, is the
Dairy Event, organised by the Royal Agricultural British Dairy Farmers and
Farming and Countryside Education.
Educationalists from across Coventry, Warwickshire and the West Midlands are
invited to attend this prestigious annual event. The day is a great
opportunity for teaching staff and advisers to meet a wide rage of experts
involved in the industry and find out about the diverse range of opportunities
on offer to young people leaving school or college.
The programme includes an overview of the industry from a leading expert
detailing the challenges facing the farming community and the skills demanded as
it faces improving efficiency, globalisation and new technology.
The day features ‘A day in life talks’ from a vet, hoof trimmer, animal feed
nutritionalist, agricultural engineer and others, providing teachers and
advisers with a real insight into the diverse range of career opportunities
available.
Delegates update their knowledge on the state of the industry and a guided tour
allows them to meet employers, exhibitors, producers and retailers who work in,
or support, the sector. The day shows the wealth of talent within the sector and
the wide range of skills needed to sustain its future.
Feedback from attendees highlights a positive impact on understanding and that
knowledge gained will be used to enhance work with young people by the ability
to include real life and practical examples in lessons.
“The day has been a huge eye opener for me. I didn’t realise how much technology
was involved throughout the dairy food chain process. I can use lots of these
examples to support my teaching.”
Secondary School Food Technology Teacher working in Coventry
“To see and hear so many experts in one day has been brilliant. It will help me
give better informed advice to young people leaving school”
Personal Adviser working in Leamington Spa
“Learned lots today and made links that I can pass onto other staff in school.”
Careers Teacher working in Nuneaton
Response to the dairy event in 2007 was excellent with over 35 Connexions
advisers and school based staff planning to attend as part of their professional
development. It was a great disappointment that the event had to be cancelled
due to the outbreak of foot and mouth disease. Whilst everyone accepted this was
unavoidable it gave them a real example of how the farming industry can be
affected by so many factors.
This years event, due to be held in September 2008, promises to be bigger and
better, now know as the Dairy and Livestock Event it has expanded to include
other livestock such as beef cattle, sheep and goats. This will be invaluable to
both careers advisers and teachers who want to get up-to-date information on the
developments right across the food and farming sector.
Another Professional Development Placement Day, Connexions has organised in
partnership with Farming and Countryside Education, covers sustainable farming
in the 21st century. The day gives teachers and advisers a real insight into
today’s farming industry, why it is changing and how often topical issues can be
linked to many areas of the curriculum. The day is held on a real working
farm with industry experts showing how conventional farming methods are changing
and explaining how organic and intensive methods are becoming more important in
the way farms are managed.
“The key to being able to spread the word to young people is continual updates
in labour market information and employment trends. Events covering the farming
industry are a useful way to update my knowledge.”
Personal Adviser working in an agricultural college
Close links with Lantra, the sector skills Council for the environmental and
land-based sector, who are based at Stoneleigh, has led to even more adviser
events in which staff update their knowledge of careers, entry and progression
routes and changes in industry.
Websites are a key source of information for young people, their families and
advisers. Coventry and Warwickshire, like other areas, has an online prospectus
of all 14-19 learning opportunities showing the whole range of courses available
across area, right from art & design to warehousing to agriculture and tourism.
“We hope it will expand young peoples’ minds and allow them to see a wide range
of course options across the area, not just what is on offer at their school or
nearest college.”
Personal Adviser working in an inner city school in Coventry speaking about
Route 14-19,
www.route14-19.co.uk,
the online prospectus for Coventry & Warwickshire
The recently launched World of Work website,
www.cwworldofwork.org.uk,
includes information on future employment trends in all industries. It has been
developed to ensure young people are kept informed about the changing world of
work and to assist in the career decision making process.
The service also has its own online vacancy service for young people, providing
a place where employers can advertise jobs vacancies and apprenticeships free of
charge. Young people can access and apply for vacancies online or in person at
local Connexions offices.
Advocates for the industry?
Careers advisers are advocates for all industries. Advisers are impartial and
provide information on all industries to help young people make more informed
choices.
“I give careers advice and guidance to students in year 10 and 11 and see a
range of students with different levels of ability. Some have fixed ideas of
what they want to do others have no idea. When I see a student I discuss their
options and suggest careers or courses they might like to consider. But the key
to practice is being impartial and recognising the value all post 16 options.”
School based Personal Adviser working in North Warwickshire
Advisers do their very best to think about the options suitable for each young
person as an individual and are not biased to one industry. The skill of an
adviser is to highlight all the options, draw out peoples’ skills and interests
and help young people consider the full range of options by providing unbiased
information. However an individual’s career choice can be influenced by a wide
range of factors; including the media, parents and peers.
“Students’ career options are often influenced by their parents and sometimes it
is difficult to change a student’s mind when their parents have seen or heard
adverse publicity about a particular career. It is therefore very helpful
when I have first hand knowledge about a career and can give students accurate,
up to date information about career opportunities. With this in mind I try
to attend such events as Careers in Food and Farming which I find invaluable in
obtaining information on land-based industries. It is apparent that not only are
the roles within the industry changing but also the skills needed to fulfil
those roles. I was very disappointed when last years event was cancelled
due to the Foot and Mouth outbreak and look forward to attending the event this
year.”
Connexions Personal Adviser working in Rugby
Attracting young people
Work experience is an effective way for young people to experience the world of
work first hand and good quality placements are in demand. Land based industries
can do a lot to promote their sector by providing placements that give a real
insight into an industry. Taking time to invest in placements can pay dividends;
young people go back to the classroom enthused about your industry and will tell
others. As a service we are always looking for new and innovative placements for
our young people.
Coventry & Warwickshire Connexions, like other Connexions services, is keen to
work with employers and industry specialists to promote the opportunities
available in all industries. This has been achieved for the land-based sector
through a Rural Skills Open Day, held at Charlecote Park, organised by the
National Trust in partnership with Connexions.
The aim of the day was to help local young people explore the many employment
and training opportunities on offer in the rural sector. Local businesses and
trades demonstrated their skills and talked to young people about working in a
particular field. Stalls and information points provided advice and
opportunities whether through training, volunteering or employment. With
over 500 young people attending, it seems the sector certainly has appeal.
Most of the young people reported they had learned something during the day, and
many were looking for potential employment and training opportunities, including
volunteering. The practical demonstrations and interactive displays, showing the
sector at work, were the highlight for many of the attendees.
The trend is that more and more young people are continuing in education at 16
and fewer numbers are entering employment. Our tracking systems in Coventry &
Warwickshire show us that in 2007 over 80% of school leavers continued their
education at school sixth form or college, and only 13% went into employment,
with only small numbers (2%) entering employment in the agricultural sector. The
sector reports an ageing workforce so attracting new entrants is vital.
One way to encourage more young people into the sector is the provision of high
quality apprenticeships with clear progression routes. A quality apprenticeship
can be the start of a rewarding career, and employers, who are keen to attract
youngsters to the sector, should think about investing in this type of
opportunity.
As a service, Connexions Coventry & Warwickshire recognises employer input is
key to both young people and advisers understanding industry. We do our very
best to ensure advisers are supported and given opportunities to update their
knowledge at regular intervals. We do this through partnership working, events
and information resources, and hope that this approach ensures young people are
kept up-to-date with industry and the range of opportunities available so they
can make fully informed choices about their future.
Connexions Coventry and Warwickshire is at:
www.cwconnexions.org.uk