Within the agricultural sector, the past 10 months have seen the successful launch of a number of ‘Fresh Start Academies’.

These are industry led initiatives that offer specific technical updating sessions for those engaged with farm management. These sessions are offered at no charge to the attendees as the county colleges and guest speakers all donate their resources to ensure success.

Each Fresh Start Academy aims to encourage young people into the agricultural industry by creating a learning environment in which they can add to their skill base. The Fresh Start Academy programme aims to provide a stimulating environment for potential agricultural entrepreneurs within which they can identify possible business opportunities.

It is important to stress that it is equally applicable to would-be farmers as it is to those seeking careers as farm managers or in the supply or purchase sectors of the food chain. Target audience for academy attendees includes young men and women who are probably two or three years out of formal further or higher education and career changers entering the industrywho have developed, through experience, the knowledge and skill set to take on agriculture as a career option.

So, anything that the agricultural community can do to address the skills shortage and recruitment difficulties that they may face, as well as assist with succession planning problems, may have equal value among horticultural businesses.

Indeed, a tailored horticultural version of the agricultural model could do much to add significant value to horticultural businesses of all types as it could pick up and project on-going research work undertaken by the training providers.

Writtle College will not be alone in offering a wide range of technical services and support to growers in this country and overseas as typified by research into Braeburn apples.

The need to link ‘near market’ applied research of this type, undertaken by specialist land-based colleges and university departments, with industry has never been more acute than it is today.

One way for us all to get closer to each other could be via the establishment of a number of horticultural versions of the agricultural Fresh Start Academies. Via the network of land-based colleges, and informed by ‘Letters to the Editor’ in this excellent publication, we may between us all be able to strengthen our position in what is an increasingly aggressive trading market.