Skills programme

A professional workforce is vital to improving your business performance.

When the uptake of business and leadership skills becomes routine, we believe everyone working in the agricultural and horticultural sectors can thrive.

That’s why we’re committed to helping you develop and retain your current staff, while improving recruitment of the next generation. 

We can help you get the skills you need to secure a professional, confident workforce in your business so you can keep pace with emerging technologies and innovation.

Specifically we will:

• Work with industry to identify what specialist skills are needed and put plans in place to deliver training in these areas
• Continue to invest and encourage others to do the same to meet future needs
• Help deliver an independent, free at the point of access, professional framework to capture career pathways, CPD, training and accreditation opportunities, and signpost to recognised providers
• Support the development and awareness of apprenticeships that meet the needs of industry and encourage take-up by both industry and individuals
• Ensure those receiving training get accredited qualifications where appropriate
• Promote the benefits of having good business skills and how investing time and money in these activities will help build a highly skilled and professional workforce capable of coping with future challenges

Scope of skills work

Our skills activity is focused on the industry’s workforce including apprentices, but not those in full-time education.

We will support existing projects and initiatives being run by other organisations to make sure they are delivering what the industry needs in terms of skills.  We will also identify and address areas of market failure in design, delivery and standard of training opportunities and accredited qualifications that are critical to industry success.

Our skills activity will:

• Support industry-led skills initiatives to offer a joined-up approach to accreditation development and delivery
• Use the skills, experience and resource that AHDB can leverage for industry from interested parties
• Provide independent information, based on robust evidence, to inform Government policy with the objective of achieving a joined-up Government and industry approach to land-based education and continuing professional development

Organisations we work with:

• Agri Skills Forum
• National Land Based College
• National Farmers Union
• National Federation of Young Farmers
• Lantra
• Landex
• Institute of Agricultural Management