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Discussion topics
Labour market & skills
Addressing labour market issues, including possible shortages of skilled and unskilled labour in the immediate and longer term.
There has been a long term decline in the numbers of people obtaining agriculture related qualifications in the UK, leading to a reduced domestic skills base. The recent decline in sterling’s value against other currencies has also reduced the attractiveness of the UK as a work destination for those in other countries – particularly for those with specialised skills who might otherwise have worked in agriculture.
Most teachers, careers advisers and other influencers have little realistic idea of the range of careers available within the supply chain and dissuade young people from entering the industry; parents, unless they are familiar with the industry, are the same. We farm under CSS and do Ed Access and with NE’s agreement I do ‘outreach’ attending school careers fairs talking about careers in the industry (eg agronomists, nutritionists to researchers and farm workers) which enables me to talk to teachers, students and parents. I also work with the local Education Business Company as a STEM ambassador (Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths) which gets me into both primary and 2ndry schools. Teachers and students alike are amazed at how challenging and exciting our industry is. More farmers need to be able to be funded to do this sort of activity to present a positive image of our industry. On the other hand, where, now, can a young person learn to milk a cow, so many ag colleges do not teach this any more and farmers do not have the time or inclination to train them and then bemoan the lack of good staff.
I am NOT from a farming family but have worked as a farm worker and after qualifying, as an accountant and an adviser in the industry for many years and other family members also have successful careers in the industry. Getting this sort of message across is key to getting new blood into the industry. On another matter, I do believe that some form of CPD should be adopted within the wider industry in the same way that it is for some elements at present eg FACTS, BASIS, the professions, to keep farmers and their staff up to date with training and personal development.
Just too back up the previous correspondent, with regard to training I would refer people to “FARMING LIVES, Using the Sustainable Livelihoods
Approach in the Peak District Farming Community”
To quote from the document “farmers are time poor. There is a constant stream of work to be done on their farms, many cannot afford to employ staff as they did in the past and many families have members working outside the farm, also adding to the work pressure. The weather plays a significant role in the work load at certain times of the year. When weather conditions are unpredictable or extreme, farmers could not commit time or make plans to meet project staff in case the weather improved to give them a window of opportunity to get on with their work”
Being ‘time poor’ means that they will be wary about having to sign up for courses in advance because they may be unable to attend due to pressure of work. Also courses have to be timed to fit in with the sort of farming in the area. If running a talk for dairy farmers it might be best to fit it in between 11am and 3pm. However in a primarily arable area you might find more people can make 5pm to 8pm.
Note also that the courses will be judged harshly, someone who has put in a twelve hour day and then turned out on a miserable night to attend a course only to discover it is a ‘tick box exercise’ is unlikely to attend the second evening.
Landex is the national association of land-based colleges. Its 34 member colleges in England (and 8 associates in the devolved administrations) invest considerable resources in promoting farming as a career and informing school leavers about opportunities for further education (FE) in land-based subjects.
In fact, the total number of enrolments to FE Agriculture (livestock and crops) funded by the Learning and Skills Council increased from 2478 in 2004/05 to 3841 in 2007/08 – an increase of 55%. Over 82% of these enrolments were in Landex member colleges.
The recent strategy “Towards a new professionalism” in agriculture and horticulture is welcomed by Landex as major step forward. It is hoped that, amongst other things, it will lead to a better articulation of training needs by the industry to which colleges will be keen to respond.
Comments on skills were included in the business management section. Skills has been identified as a potential springboard for productivity but the perennial challenge is how to involve farmers in developing skills. As the discussion document identifies, there are issues surround the longevity of the SAWS quota (particularly important for horticulture) that merit further consideration. Labour market issues bring the focus on the Agricultural Wages Board. The legally binding orders it makes are increasingly confusing and act as a barrier to employment and personal development, as well as being costly to run. Its abolition would help put UK agriculture and horticulture on a more competitive footing.