"I’m hoping for some Bazball; for those not acquainted with the great game, play without any fear as if you have nothing to lose."

I first met John Davidson, the new chief exec of NFUS, when he worked for Scotland Food and Drink. A group of us went on a fascinating study trip to Holland in 2018 for Scotland Food and Drink Ambition 2030 exploring ways to double turnover in food and drink to £30 billion by 2030.

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We submitted a report. I can’t tell you whether we are on target after the body blows of the intervening years, but like most reports, it sank without trace, perhaps leaving a faint suggestion of a ripple. The water gently lapped the toes of the body politic for a moment, then receded. This was no fault of John’s, and I am sure he will be a very proactive and positive force for good as he comes in to bat for NFUS. I’m hoping for some Bazball; for those not acquainted with the great game, play without any fear as if you have nothing to lose.

If you are a fan of cricket, it won’t surprise you to hear that our latest wheat variety, appropriately named Stokes, is currently knocking it out of the park. I have never seen our wheat looking as well at this time of year, though the second innings is still to come, and the turbulent weather is likely to bowl us a few bouncers before stumps. After the strong wind and sheets of water this morning, we are starting to see patches going down in a field after cauliflowers. I hope our dreams won’t turn to Ashes.

Some welcome news came from Scottish Government last week with the announcement that they will continue to support Scotland’s 3 Producer Organisations, Angus Growers (which I am a member of) East of Scotland Growers and Scottish Borders Produce. Environment Cabinet Secretary Mairi Gougeon was quoted in the press release, saying: “Continuing this support has arguably never been more important. I hope that by extending the support provided by the Fruit and Vegetables Aid scheme in its current form, we can provide much-needed stability and security to the sector over the next two years. Meanwhile, the Scottish Government will continue to work on giving greater certainty on multi-year funding longer term.”

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That seems like a clear indication of ongoing support to me, and it is very welcome to a fragile but vital sector of farming.

An exceptional co-operative that I am very fortunate to chair is supporting farming businesses in a different way.

Ringlink’s pre-apprenticeship for 16–21-year-olds has been remarkably successful at attracting new recruits, with almost half of the trainees having no previous agricultural background.

The land-based pre-apprenticeship is a vocational pathway at entry level for a school leaver or new entrant, providing a qualification at SCQF level 4, certificated training tickets and six months full-time employment. This work-based model suits the industry well, as it includes the essential upfront Health & Safety awareness and provides the fundamental skills, and competency for a relatively inexperienced person to get a ‘foot on the ladder’.

In the past 10 years, 189 pre-apprentices have passed through the programme, and 80% are still either working on the farm they trained on or working elsewhere within the industry. The pre-apprenticeship is undoubtedly providing a valuable source of new talent for the land-based sector.

This year, a record 29 new trainees have joined the pre-apprenticeship. It is a remarkable success story for our industry, particularly given the increasing difficulties with recruiting sufficient labour and skilled staff for farms.

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There is a catch, however. Of the 29 new recruits, eight are still waiting for a mentor who is willing to develop their skills and Ringlink are appealing for businesses from the areas of Perth, Arbroath, Forfar, Brechin, Banchory and Drumoak who could offer six-months employment for a willing young trainee to get in contact. You don’t even have to be a Ringlink member to be a mentor.

I know from personal experience how rewarding it is, but I am also aware that not every business can either afford the time or the money to take on an extra employee. If you are looking to hire staff however, given the shortage of trained farm workers, it makes a lot of sense to take on a pre-apprentice who is young, enthusiastic, and hasn’t picked up any bad habits.

Ringlink have a rigorous interview process, and places are limited on the course; we won’t take anyone into the programme unless they have shown that they are eager to learn and keen to work. The Ringlink pre-apprenticeship is a great route for Agricultural and Forestry businesses who are looking to recruit.

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Ringlink has sourced funding for the land-based pre-apprenticeship from Scottish Government as administered by Skills Development Scotland over the last five years, with just one year remaining of assured financial support. Given the success of the programme to-date, we remain optimistic that funding will be forthcoming from Scottish Government to allow the pre-apprenticeship to continue and expand.

Investing in the future workforce is important for Ringlink and as such, earlier this year following a grant award from the Loirston Trust, a new simulator has been installed at the Ringlink training centre in Laurencekirk. The simulator allows users to gain initial introductory training on a variety of industry specific plant and machinery such as Tractor, Forklift, Digger, HGV; offering an interactive, safe and cost-effective means of skills development.

Ringlink continues to explore potential routes to financially support mentors with Scottish Government. I am very hopeful that a solution will be found which could lead to a massive expansion in the scheme throughout the rest of Scotland. In the meantime, if you have a business in the areas previously mentioned, there are some very keen young folk on your doorstep who could bring a fresh and revitalising injection of youthful energy into your business. It is vitally important that we keep bringing young people into the industry and we need more mentor businesses to engage and offer these opportunities.

Please contact Gail Robertson, 01561 377790 if you are interested in mentoring.