As workforce pressures continue across the UK food sector, dairy co-op Arla is warning that investing in education, skills and career pathways is now critical to protecting the nation’s future food supply.
With the government looking at ways to bring more young people into work, another key challenge is to change perceptions of food and farming and build excitement about careers in the sector, the farmer-owned co-op adds, showcasing the modern and progressive opportunities available.
A survey of British farmers by the co-op has found that almost 65% of farmers say better education and training is the most effective measure to attract more people into the industry.
Worryingly, 82% of farmers who have had a vacancy report that very few or no applicants for the role have the right skills – a figure that has not dropped below 80% in the last seven years.
Beyond the farm across the wider supply chain, Arla’s own data shows it takes around 105 days to recruit engineers into the supply chain compared to an average of 58 days for other roles, the need to address the challenge is clear.
Inspiring the next generation and attracting a younger demographic is another concern, with an aging workforce across agriculture and food production. Nearly half – 48% – of farmers are over the age of 55 and the average age of workers in the supply chain is 46, up from 40 in 2018.
Related: Arla calls for action to address UK’s farm labour shortage
Arla says the findings highlight a shift from a labour shortage to a wider skills challenge that could have implications for the long-term resilience of British food production if left unaddressed. Farmers report that ongoing recruitment difficulties are increasing costs, making it harder to plan for the future and placing additional pressure on everyday farm operations.
The research forms part of Arla’s seventh annual survey of farmers on the issue and builds on recommendations from its recent White Paper, developed in partnership with Harper Adams University. The data shows a skills gap that remains significant. The solution lies in attracting, training and inspiring the next generation to pursue careers across food and farming in order to ensure the industry has people with the right skills.
Food and farming careers today span science, technology, engineering, sustainability, logistics, nutrition and business – but Arla warns that many young people remain unaware of the opportunities available or how to access them. The research with Harper Adams University found that interest exists among young people, but awareness, visibility and clear entry routes are often lacking.
“Securing the future of British food starts with securing people,” said Arla Foods UK managing director Bas Padberg. “Behind every litre of milk and every meal on the table is a skilled workforce producing, processing and transporting food.
“We need to inspire young people earlier and connect them to food. When people understand more about where it comes from what is takes to feed a nation, helping to be a part of that becomes a much more attractive proposition. If we want a resilient food system capable of feeding future generations, we must invest in the skills, education and pathways that will build the workforce of tomorrow.”
Alongside wider industry initiatives, Arla says it is expanding its own efforts to engage young people, raise awareness of modern food and farming careers, and support greater understanding of the skills needed for the future food system. Launching a new outreach programme to young people across the country, the initiative will help address some of the key barriers across food and farming to the workforce and skills crisis. Reaching over 100 schools and more than 100,00 young people, the education initiative wills showcase the breadth of progressive and modern roles available in food production.
Paul Dover, UK agriculture director at Arla Foods UK, added: “The food supply chain has been facing increasing pressure from workforce challenges for a number of years, and the latest data from our farmers shows the picture is not improving. This is a challenge that will impact beyond the farm, if action isn’t taken.
“Government proposals like the Farming Roadmap and its efforts to help young people into work through courses in schools are helpful and will go some way to supporting farmers, but the reality is we need intervention much earlier. We need to change perceptions of the sector and ensure attractiveness to expand our talent pool to bring many more young people into our industry.”
Tim Dale, Arla farmer, added: “As farmers, we’re passionate about producing nutritious food, but none of that happens without people. Finding skilled workers is becoming increasingly difficult, and it’s one of the biggest challenges facing farms today. Modern farming is innovative, progressive and involves multiple skills such as business, science and technology. We need to do more to showcase the exciting opportunities available and create clearer pathways into the sector. Investing in the next generation isn’t just important for our farms, it’s essential for the future of British food production.”
Alex Hardie, Development Manager at the School of Sustainable Food & Farming at Harper Adams University, said: “Each year at Harper Adams University, hundreds of our students progress on to careers in food and farming– and our consistently high figures for graduate employment show that the demand is there for these skills.
“Our food and farming sectors offer modern, hi-tech jobs which meet key Government priorities – ensuring a robust and sustainable food supply chain should be a core priority for Ministers. Firms like Arla and institutions such as Harper Adams University have a role to play – but we need earlier investment in education, skills and training to help young people realise the vast range of opportunities available to them.”
Across its supply chain and manufacturing sites, Arla has a number of initiatives dedicated to attracting more people into food production. Dedicated apprenticeships and bespoke training helps meet the needs of our sites that use cutting edge technology and ensure our colleagues have the skills to fulfil their potential.
At Taw Valley, where Arla is investing significantly to bring state of the art mozzarella production to the UK, the company aims to bring in 50 new apprentices over the next two years. This will also include an on-site classroom and tutor, it says, “as well as expanding partnerships with local colleges to increase T level industry placements to create meaningful workplace experience and a clear talent pipeline”.
