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People working in agriculture, forestry and land management in North East England will get the chance to develop their skills in a £1.2m investment in providing training for land-based businesses.
An estimated 2,000 staff at micro enterprises in rural areas will have the opportunity to increase their knowledge and skills as part of the investment approved last week by Regional Development Agency One North East.
It will enable training to be provided for land-based businesses in practical and technical work; animal health and welfare; technology; resource management; marketing and promotion; supply chain efficiencies; and management and leadership. The idea is to help them improve their profitability, competitiveness and sustainability, but also to encourage more businesses to exchange knowledge and increase the demand for higher-level skills in land-based industries.
The work will be managed by Lantra, the sector skills council for environmental and land-based industries, and is being supported by the Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE). It is just one part of the RDPE’s socio-economic investment in the region, which is jointly funded by Defra and the European Union and managed by One North East.
One North East rural board member Ian Brown said: “Skills development is a huge area of challenge for land-based businesses, particularly those with a very small number of staff where finding the time and resources can be difficult.
“However, building an understanding of a new technology which might help you do your job more quickly or finding new ways to market your produce are just a few examples of how training can reap real benefits in the long-term - helping businesses become more productive and competitive, and better able to adapt to change in European policy and support.
“As well as meeting the skills needs of farming, forestry and land management businesses in this region, this investment is also about building the demand for skilled workers from employers. Land-based businesses are a key part of the rural economy, and we want them to have the tools to be as competitive, adaptable and sustainable as possible.”
Madge Moore, Lantra’s Director for England said: “Lantra’s key role is to encourage environmental and land-based businesses to recognise the business benefits of training and to drive-up levels of investment in skills and learning. We cannot make this happen on our own so we work with both employers and agencies to achieve this aim. We are therefore delighted to be working in partnership with One North East on this exciting and innovative programme.”
Kevin Patrick, Lantra’s North East regional manager, will be taking the lead on behalf of Lantra in the region. Kevin said: “So often when businesses are under pressure skills development goes way down the priority list, when it should actually be seen as an integral part of the business planning process. This programme is a real opportunity to kick start a sustained development programme which will bring lasting benefits to many agricultural, forestry and land management businesses in the North East.”
Over the next few months, partners from industry groups and unions will help Lantra to prioritise the skills needs of land based businesses in the region, and providers will be procured to offer that training to them.
The skills programme will work with experienced and accredited providers, but may also test out new ways of delivering training and transferring knowledge. Where appropriate, employers and staff taking part will be able to work towards relevant training body or provider qualifications.
The skills programme is designed to complement or add value to other skills development work with the land-based sector – such as that through Further and Higher Education, and via Train to Gain. It is seen as a very positive response to the environment and land-based sector skills agreement.
The Rural Development Programme for England 2007-2013 is jointly funded by Defra and the European Union, with the aim of delivering targeted support to rural businesses and communities. It is managed in the region by One North East, Natural England and the Forestry Commission.
The RDPE investment being managed by One North East combines larger projects to help many businesses in different sectors of the rural economy - including bioenergy and land-based skills, and projects adding value to agricultural and forestry products - with smaller investments to help individual businesses to start-up, grow or diversify. Rural community partnerships are shaping how at least 25% of the funding is invested themselves, using the LEADER approach.
For more information on RDPE in North East England, visit www.rdpenortheast.co.uk
For more information, contact Claire Mason (press office) on 0191 2296429 or 07765220755, or by emailing Claire.mason@onenortheast.co.uk
For more information on Lantra, contact Bailey Lamburn (PR and Marketing Manager) on 02476 858436 or by emailing bailey.lamburn@lantra.co.uk
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