AgriSkills Forum

The AgriSkills Forum was set up in Autumn 2008 to ensure that skills development and recognition were addressed in the agricultural and horticultural industries, by challenging all organisations to make skills an active priority.

The vision of the AgriSkills Forum is:

A profitable and sustainable industry fully capable of meeting the demands and challenges of agriculture and land management in the 21st century,
Delivered by a world class, competent, innovative and professional workforce whose professionalism is recognised and rewarded,
Where skills development is fundamental and integral to all businesses,
And an industry that is seen as a career of choice,
Where the significance of farming and land management are recognised and valued by society.

AgriSkills

AgriSkills Strategy

An editorial sub-group chaired by Yorkshire farmer Richard Longthorp and including representatives from the NFU, Lantra and Landex was formed to develop the AgriSkills Strategy. It was produced in consultation with industry organisations and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).

The AgriSkills Strategy aims to:

Recognise existing skills
Promote skills development and the concept of professionalism as being central to business improvement
Promote the industry as a professional and progressive place to work
Provide Government with a strong and influential partner to meet the challenges of the future
Support the industry as a priority sector

AgriSkills Forum Terms of Reference

The AgriSkills Forum exists to challenge other organisations to deliver against the AgriSkills Vision for a skilled and professional industry. Whilst being realistic as to what is deliverable, it will, nevertheless, be aspirational in its approach.

The AgriSkills Forum appreciates and acknowledges, for reasons that are well understood, that at times its aspirations might be greater than those of some or all of its constituent organisations. But if the AgriSkills Forum limits its aspirations to that of the collective of its member organisations it has no useful purpose to play.

Purpose

To lead the delivery of the vision of “Towards a New Professionalism” – the industry backed skills strategy for Agriculture & Horticulture:

A profitable and sustainable industry fully capable of meeting the demands and challenges of agriculture and land management in the 21st century
Delivered by a world class, competent, innovative and professional workforce whose professionalism is recognised and rewarded
Where skills development is fundamental and integral to all businesses
And an industry that is seen as a career of choice
Where the significance of farming and land management are recognised and valued by society.

How?

AgriSkills Forum will:

Articulate the case for professionalism in UK agriculture and work closely with a range of stakeholders to vigorously promote professionalism to key audiences
Promote the benefits of a skilled and professional industry
Lead the development of systems that record, recognise and support skills development
Ensure that everything developed and promoted is relevant, meets the needs of businesses and individuals and has the active support of employers by securing high levels of industry / employer engagement at all stages
Anticipate those skills that will be needed to realise the full potential of research and innovation to future proof food and farming.

What?

Working with industry, lead the development of a Professional Framework¹ in the Food & Farming² Industry against which businesses and individuals can record, compare and plan
Lead the development, promotion and implementation of the new “Trailblazer” apprenticeship standards for agriculture and horticulture in England, including the development of assessments
Ensure that skills professionalism agenda is linked into industry careers initiatives in order to attract talented people into the industry. (Careers specifically is not within the remit of the AgriSkills Forum)
Communicate effectively with industry and stakeholders

Who By?

The AgriSkills Forum Management Group will comprise representatives from:

Who With?

AgriSkills Forum will work with:

All major agricultural organisations, specifically the NFU, AHDB, NFYFC, Country Land and Business Association, Agricultural Industries Confederaton, Farming & Countryside Education.
Relevant government departments, specifically Defra and BEIS plus DFE, DWP and The Institute of Apprenticeships – specifically informing Defra’s food and farming strategy and other skills policy areas.
Organisations involved with skills specifically Lantra, Landex, City & Guilds and other awarding bodies.

Scope

AgriSkills Forum operates in England but collaborates fully with devolved administrations on skills where appropriate.

AgriSkills Management Group

Richard Longthorp (Chair)
Agricultural and Horticultural Development Board (AHDB)
Agri-Food Tech Leadership Council
City and Guilds, Land Based Services
Department of Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra)
Institute of Agricultural Management
Landex
Lantra
National Farmers Union (NFU)
National Federation of Young Farmers’ Clubs (NFYFC)
National Land Based College
Royal Agricultural Society of England (RASE)
Chris Padfield
Beverly Dixon

Notes:

¹A Professional Framework, developed in conjunction with industry over a period of time will:

establish a framework against which people/businesses can record, compare and plan
record and recognise training already undertaken and skills acquired
analyse and identify skills and training needs
identify what training is needed and available
maintain an individual’s training profile
enable all people working in a business to be competent in their role, grow and develop
use world class standards to provide inspiration to all those who aspire to become world class
assist business managers in creating development plans
assist businesses and individuals get the best out of training & report on ROI
ensure training provision is quality assured
bring about more cohesion of existing professional registers and set standards for new schemes

²Food & Farming is meant to describe primary production and those farming businesses where further processing / packing takes place and hence where the line between food production and farming per se becomes somewhat blurred. It is not at this point in time intended to encroach on the territory of businesses whose primary function is food manufacture from primary products / ingredients produced elsewhere.