UK dairy is addressing its ongoing workforce challenges with the launch of a new group tasked with boosting workforce skills for the £5.7 billion sector.
The Talent Forum, launched today (30 April), aims to address the growing skills gap and focus on attracting and retaining talent, which has become a pressing issue for the sector.
A recent report by dairy cooperative Arla found that 86% of farmers with vacancies reported very few or no applicants possessing the right skills.
It is hoped the initiative will address this, as well as improve succession planning and forecast future skill needs across the entire supply chain—from farms to processing plants.
Launched by the University of the West of Scotland (UWS), the Talent Forum has brought together senior leaders from across the dairy supply chain.
These include figures from industry organisations such as the AHDB, NFU, Dairy UK, Defra and the Scottish government.
Sam Rhynas, vice chair of the Talent Forum stated: “The work of the forum is vital in ensuring a resilient, highly skilled workforce that meets the evolving demands of the sector, fostering both economic growth and individual career progression.
"Additionally, it opens opportunities to create a diverse environment, bringing expertise from other sectors to work collaboratively and develop new and innovative approaches.”
The Talent Forum’s mission is to guide the development of a "future skills needs sssessment", utilising data and feedback from industry stakeholders.
This assessment will inform future investments in vocational education, apprenticeships and continuous professional development.
The Talent Forum said this would ensure the dairy sector is prepared to meet the demands of a rapidly evolving industry.
Lynne Somerville, Think Dairy Careers Skills Lead at UWS, said the launch of the initiative was an exciting step forward for the UK dairy sector.
"By working together, we’ve got a real opportunity to raise awareness, open up new pathways and help build a skilled and future-ready workforce.”
