News
A land skills expert has been appointed to help agricultural, trees and timber and land management businesses in North East England access a £1.2 million programme to help develop their skills through training.
Peter Nailon has been appointed to manage LandSkills North East, part of the Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE), which is managed by Lantra, the Sector Skills Council for the environmental and land-based industries, on behalf of One North East.
The programme will provide a whole range of training opportunities to help land-based businesses become more profitable and competitive.
Formerly of BTCV, Peter managed a land-based skills initiative in the North Pennines and has a good understanding of the challenges faced by land-based businesses and rural communities. Peter said: “LandSkills North East represents an important opportunity for rural businesses to improve performance and profitability through investment in training and skills.”
The programme will be run by a Steering Group which is made up of industry representatives and stakeholders. The Steering Group will work with partners and other industry representatives to help Lantra prioritise the skills needs of land-based businesses in the region. Steering Group Chair and respected local tenant farmer, Simon Henderson, said:
“Change is upon us; the question is how do we choose to face it? At my farm in Wooler, Northumberland we diversified into growing wild flowers and grasses for seed production and training was vital to help my employees and business adapt. Therefore I know how crucial training is for businesses to develop in these changing times and the funding available through LandSkills North East will help many to access the training they require to remain sustainable.”
Providers will be procured to deliver the training required, which will include practical and technical work; animal health and welfare; technology; resource management; marketing and promotion; supply chain efficiencies; and management and leadership.
Peter added: “Invitations to tender will be issued in October to prospective training providers requesting well researched proposals to meet established business training needs.”
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.
For more information visit www.lantra.co.uk/LandSkillsNorthEast.
ENDS
Issued by: Vicky Brewin - tel 02476 858 417 or email vicky.brewin@lantra.co.uk
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