Bridgwater College started life in 1921 as the Somerset Farm Institute, like many agricultural colleges it was formed following the First World War with the intention of increasing the self sufficiency of food produced in the UK. With Somerset being a strong agricultural county it grew and became nationally renowned particularly for dairying, cheese production and commercial horticulture.
Later it became Cannington College of Agriculture and prospered particularly in the 1950’s, 1960’s and 1970’s. However with a downturn in agriculture and a lack of vision and investment student numbers began to dwindle in the 1980’s and 1990’s leaving the governors with some difficult choices. By 2004 agricultural student numbers had fallen to 27. The farm was in a poor state of repair and the herd of dairy cows was not one to be proud of.
Like many organisations faced with difficult choices it sought out a larger more financially stable partner, and was fortunate to find one, in the nearby further education college in Bridgwater. Fortunately the senior team could see the strategic advantage of being in agriculture and land-based studies and began to make investments in the farm along with the overall College Estate.
In the past 10 years over £5 million has been invested in the facilities at the college farm which includes a new milking parlour and cow housing, slurry storage, forage clamps, and more recently the innovation centre and bio security building.
This investment linked to the vision, that if we are to have an industry which is able to meet the challenges of the future we need suitably trained and motivated people to rise to the challenge.
Currently the majority of staff employed on dairy farms comprise the sons and daughters of the owners, farm workers who are over 50 years of age, and Eastern Europeans. More and more farming families children are looking outside agriculture for employment as they have seen their parents doing hard physical work all their lives, in many cases for little reward.
According to Landex, land based and environmental industries will require 148,000 more people by 2020, and 447,000 to replace those leaving the sector through retirement.
So how do we attract, educate and retain for the long term, high calibre staff to work in the dairy and livestock sector here in the UK?
Today around 1% of the British work force work directly on farms. Approximately 480,000 people. However if we take the wider food and farming industry is with its allied trades, this accounts for approximately 3.5 million people or 13% of the British workforce. Collectively we produce 63% of the food that is consumed here in Britain, which means we could increase output overall just to supply the home market, without the need to find export markets.
To continually improve skills is a priority for enhancing productivity and performance within the rural sector particularly within Agriculture. However employers in rural areas can face particular constraints in accessing the pool of skills they require due to the remote nature of the business. Businesses in rural areas are more likely than businesses in urban areas to have to outsource work, as a result of skills shortages.
Students from rural areas are more likely to meet expected standards whilst at college, with a higher proportion achieving merit and distinction. The proportion of people working in Agriculture with qualifications at or above degree level, apprenticeships at Level 3 and 4 or equivalent is continuing to grow and there is a direct relationship to productivity and efficiency.
The government is very focused regarding the implementation of a wide-ranging programme of opportunities to improve the skills base and curriculum opportunities to strengthen the quality of the work force in land based careers with particular reference to post-16 skills provision and improving opportunities for young people to progress within the sector through a range of potential career choices.
Several actions are being taken that will improve access to high quality education and training in Agriculture:
• Colleges will respond to the needs of employers, including both large and medium employers.
• To promote skills provision that is responsive to the land based Preparing the next generation of farmers and dairy herd staff Ian Tremain Head of Agriculture Innovation, Bridgwater College, Cannington Centre, TA5 2LS; tremaini@bridgwater.ac.uk 48 BRITISH CATTLE BREEDERS CLUB industry priorities, colleges will invite employers and partners to participate in the reshaping and ongoing review of local post-16 skills provision.
• Both College based and employment based training form part of successful skills systems that have been adopted across the world. They can offer young people in particular high quality, targeted training that allows them to earn while they learn.
• The government is committed to increasing the quantity and quality of agricultural education/ apprenticeships in England. It is introducing a UK-wide levy on larger employers to help fund the increase in apprenticeships training. The government’s measures will strengthen apprenticeships in rural areas:
• The government will increase apprenticeships in rural areas including by tripling apprenticeships in food and farming and by helping small tourism businesses to provide more, high quality apprenticeships.
• From April 2016, employers will not have to pay National Insurance contributions for most apprentices under the age of 25. • Funding reforms, such as the digital apprenticeship voucher, will put control of funding for apprenticeships directly into the hands of employers.
Strong conditions for rural business growth
Enterprise and competition are vital for productivity growth. They drive innovation and efficiency and help ensure that resources flow to their most productive uses. Rural areas are full of enterprise. There are 430 registered businesses per 10,000 of population in predominantly rural areas compared with 400 businesses per 10,000 of population for England as a whole. But businesses need the right conditions to become established with the main ingredient being suitably trained and motivated staff.
Work experience
Students gain invaluable work experience whilst studying at college as it increases their chances of getting part time work and more importantly a job after they have completed their college courses. Not only do they have the opportunity to complete a placement day as part of their course, they also find relevant work in the holidays. This involves working on farms taking part in as many activities as possible and where possible shadowing the farm manager to develop an understanding of farm management. There is also the option of voluntary projects that involve agricultural and environmental work that students can be involved in. Other options that some students get involved in include volunteering abroad on agriculture projects in farms, forests and nature reserves.
The major employment opportunities within agriculture are not just in farm management. Other opportunities exist with commercial ancillary companies both in the UK and abroad. Find information on employers in environment and agriculture, engineering and manufacturing, and other job sectors.
Skills for a CV
Throughout agriculture courses students develop a wide mix of technical skills and knowledge, including land use, farming practice and food production, as well as an understanding of the scientific, ethical and business principles that underpin the agricultural industry. Students confirm that employers are particularly interested in transferable skills such as:
• numeracy and IT
• initiative • organisation
• ability to plan and conduct research
• communication, including influencing and leadership
• teamwork
• ability to manage projects
An increasing number of students go onto study at HE level and some progress onto a Masters or other postgraduate qualification in a related area such as crop science and management, animal technology and agricultural technology. Others may go on to a different undergraduate degree course such as veterinary science, there are many different ways to gain a qualification in agriculture.
Generation Y & Z
Has agriculture done enough to understand what generation Y (those born 1977–1994) and even generation Z (born 1995–2012) want in the workplace? During those periods the world has moved from the industrial age to the information age. The expectation of businesses will have to change and recognise that workers are maybe equally as important as customers.
The needs and wants of future generations will be greater than those of past generations. The need to understand what generations Y and Z wants is essential in adapting on farm practices and procedures. It means changing from a protocol culture to a collaborative culture.
For an in-depth study on how to attract and keep staff motivated, do read Andrew Brewers Nuffield farming report, titled ‘Who will milk the cows?’ which is available free of charge on the Nuffield International website.
http://www.nuffieldinternational.org/rep _pdf/1441530372Andrew-Brewerreport-2013.pdf
If you know a young person considering career choices you could always direct them to the Brightcrop website.
http://www.brightcrop.org.uk
An excellent resource which gives information and may help a young person explore the opportunities within agriculture and acts as a signpost of where to go next.