Document Actions
Dairy Farmers' Opinions of Lifelong Learning
VETNET LLN's NE & Yorkshire and North West regions are funding 2 studies investigating existing skills and qualifications in the dairy sector and the future requirements for continuing professional development (CPD) / training.
Stockmen UK - the Association of Professional Herdsmen
View the findings in our report
Our timing coincides with the emergence of the industry’s own professional body “Stockmen UK” who are in discussions with VETNET LLN looking to promote the professionalism of the industry and exploring how accreditation of training, or more formal training and a professional register may assist with this.
The findings from these surveys will serve to inform development of appropriate courses for the industry. The initial results will also be fed back to the NFU, to inform follow-up discussions with the environment secretary, Hilary Benn, after the Agri-Skills group meeting in April 2009, which was held with the minister to discuss skills training and how to improve access to training for 21st-century farming.
Mr Benn commented that “Farming is by its very nature a skilled profession, but more should be done …. to improve access to training for existing farmers”. The purpose of the Agri-skills
discussions was to develop a clear and simple system so that farmers know where to go for advice on assessing their skills needs and on the most appropriate form of training.
The NFU president Peter Kendall also supports the up-skilling agenda and is quoted on the DEFRA
website saying “It is important that training and skills development are a top priority when considering the future of the industry”. Another representative at the Agri-skills meeting highlights the role of the emerging professional registers “we do at times struggle to demonstrate our skills base through qualifications but this is changing — several CPD schemes such as the Pig Industry Professional Register shows the industry is already in a position to start demonstrating the professionalism that exists within the industry”.
So this is what Government and those representing the profession have to say, what about those at “grass roots” level?
The first survey was conducted at a CPD meeting updating on Blue Tongue. It is the responses of 30 predominantly dairy farmers in Lancashire.
