DEFRA Secretary of state Hilary Benn looked to young people to re-energise careers in farming and help sustain the future of the industry, as he launched a new round table group to discuss the subject.
Benn, pictured, made the announcement at the National Farmers’ Union conference on Monday, on the same day Writtle College announced a rise in the uptake of its agricultural courses.
He said: “As we look to the future, we need to get the farmers of tomorrow interested and involved with the industry today.”
Benn looked to the new Diploma in Environmental and Land-based Studies for 14-19-year-olds, due to start in September, as vital to engage students in agriculture.
He said: “We continue to support apprenticeships in agriculture, horticulture and animal care, in which around 4,500 young people enrol each year.
“Skills matter. That is why, through the Rural Development Programme for England, we are investing some £70 million in developing and sharing knowledge. We will go on supporting the Fresh Start Academies to develop business skills for new farmers. And we are working with the industry to improve risk management, halt the loss of practical skills and improve understanding of new technologies.
“So I can announce today that I will be convening an industry round table, bringing together colleagues from across the farming industry, agricultural colleges and elsewhere to overcome these problems and inject some real urgency into our efforts to make sure that people in the industry have what they need to do their jobs even better in future.”
GuildHE announced that Writtle College has seen student applications rise by 25.4 per cent to its specialist schools through its Schools of Design, Equine and Animal Science, Horticulture and Sustainable Environments.
Analysis shows that applications to study at institutions represented by GuildHE, whose members range from new universities to small specialist colleges, have grown on average by 14 per cent this year.
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