MPs and Lords joined Lantra staff in the House of Commons (21st October 2009) to hear first hand key skills issues facing environmental and land-based businesses in England:
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31% of vacancies are hard to fill because of skills shortages, compared to 31% across all sectors, with significant problems recruiting farm managers (70%) and farmers (50%)
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An estimated 110,000 individuals are needed to start a career in the sector across the UK in the next ten years.
The event, sponsored by Jeremy Wright MP, marked the launch of Lantra’s latest research: A Skills Assessment for the Environmental and Land-based Sector.
Amongst the 20 guests were: Shadow Agriculture and Rural Affairs Minister James Paice MP; Shadow Minister for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Richard Benyon MP; Shadow Minister for Universities and Skills John Hayes MP; Lord Cotter, spokesperson for small business and skills; The Earl of Selborne, Chair of the Fruit Industry All Party Group; Lord Clark of Windermere, member of the Conservation and Wildlife, Forestry and Gardening and Horticulture All Party Groups; and Baroness Byford, Member of the Animal Welfare, Fruit Industry, Horse and Rural Services All Party Groups.
James Paice, at the launch event said:
"Farming is a highly skilled and highly responsible job and frankly you can’t achieve that without proper training and qualifications ... hopefully we can, through Lantra’s report and other ways, try to persuade people this is a very worthwhile industry... with climate change and an increasing population around the world we need to produce more food and we won’t do it if we haven’t got the skills." Full quote
Richard Longthorp, Yorkshire pig farmer and Chair of the Agri Skills Forum, was unequivical about his motivation for supporting the event:
"I am passionate about the industry, I am passionate about the skills the industry possesses... What the industry needs to do, with the help of Lantra, is to develop systems that more readily recognise all that training that’s taking place, all the skills that are needed to run businesses and work in businesses and stand on the roof tops and shout what a wonderful industry this is." Full quote
Philip Dunne, MP for Ludlow, welcomes Lantra’s report on the shortage of skilled workers. He said:
“If we do not take action soon to train new entrants and raise the skill level of those working in land based activities, we risk damaging our ability as a nation to feed ourselves.” Read more
Commenting on the reports findings, NFU Head of Policy Services Andrew Clark said:
"The NFU strongly advocates a renewed focus on skills and training. These are indeed crucial to the success of food production which in the years ahead must respond to a growing challenge of producing more food while impacting less on the environment, improving animal welfare, while reducing accidents and fatalities to those working on Britain's farms." Read more
Key findings from Lantra's Skills Assessment research can be viewed here.
The full report and factsheets can be viewed here.
