A major new skills strategy aimed at equipping farmers and growers with the right skills for the 21st century was unveiled in London on Wednesday 10 February. Hilary Benn MP, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, joined key industry representatives for the launch in recognition of the report’s importance.
The AgriSkills Strategy seeks to ensure that industries that lie at the heart of the UK’s agriculture and horticulture production deliver a skilled workforce capable of delivering increased food production and tackling environmental challenges.
The Strategy is the first to be developed by industry for industry. It portrays a profession of highly skilled and technically knowledgeable farmers and growers in a priority industry that seeks to be fully valued and seen as an attractive career of choice.
Environment Minister Hilary Benn said: “Farming is a highly skilled profession and all these skills – together with new ones – will be needed in the years ahead as we seek to reduce carbon emissions, look after natural resources, and improve productivity and profitability.
“I congratulate Richard Longthorp and all those involved in producing the Agri-Skills Strategy, and I look forward to working with them in putting its ideas into practice.”
AgriSkills Forum Chairman and NFU Deputy President, Meurig Raymond, said: “The need to produce enough food to feed an increasing population while impacting less on the environment, coupled with the advances in technology, means we must build on our highly-skilled base to take the industry forward into the 21st century.
“While we recognise that farmers and farm workers already have a high level of skills we understand that, to attract young people and new entrants to the industry, it is essential that these skills are recognised and improved. Put simply – a thriving industry needs to demonstrate that it is highly competent in all that it does. “
