The Prince’s Countryside Fund has announced a new initiative – Opening the Gate – that seeks to provide young people and new farmers the confidence to succeed in the industry.
The programme will provide free access to industry experts, such farm managers, whilst also offering the opportunity to hear from other young people who’ve overcome obstacles to start a career in farming.
It follows research undertaken by the Prince’s Countryside Fund and Aldi UK to understand the key barriers preventing people entering the farming industry.
Whilst access to finance and land came up as pressing challenges, the process revealed that knowledge exchange and development opportunities were sparse.
Over half of respondents wanted to access support but were unaware how or where to do so, the research showed.
As part of the Opening the Gate initiative, free sessions will be accompanied by online resources, such as case studies, career advice videos, and experts’ tips.
The first workshop topic will look at work experience, employment opportunities and networking, which will be broken down into three separate sessions for different audiences.
The first – aimed at college and school leavers – will take place in November, the rural charity said, with each workshop lasting 45 minutes and hosted on Zoom.
Keith Halstead, executive director of the Prince’s Countryside Fund, said the charity was committed to supporting rural young people and new entrants into farming.
"The Opening the Gate programme will equip young people with the networks, resources and expertise to ensure sustainable and viable farming enterprises for the future.”
Liz Fox, corporate responsibility director at Aldi UK, added that the initiative was designed to encourage more people into farming who may not have grown up with a farming background.
“We are immensely proud of the Opening the Gate programme, which will give more young people the opportunity to learn and develop their careers in the agricultural industry."
Those interested can now sign up for Opening the Gate, with the first session taking place at 7pm on Monday 21 November 2022.
