Farm businesses and agricultural labour providers are being urged to post job vacancies on the new 'Pick for Britain' recruitment hub.
As the peak summer harvest looms, industry groups and government have been working together to find a solution as many farm businesses warn of a worker shortage due to the Covid-19 crisis.
Pick for Britain, launched earlier this week, is now live for farmers and growers to advertise their job vacancies for this year’s harvest.
"There’s no mistaking picking can be hard work and can involve being outdoors through all weather conditions," the campaign's website states.
"Some of the work will depend on the weather, so flexibility in term of hours you work will be required. A good level of fitness is usually required. All workers receive induction, training and a full health and safety briefing.
"You will be part of a supportive team, often working outside in the fresh air and you are bound to make new friends."
The site has more than 1.6 million registered users, and is already used by more than 144,000 employers.
But before it can be promoted to the public, the website needs to be sufficiently populated with available roles.
To achieve this, farm businesses, labour providers and recruiters are being urged to post job vacancies on the site now.
NFU Vice President Tom Bradshaw said there will be thousands of vacancies opening up on farms across the country in the coming weeks.
“We have already seen a fantastic response from the public wanting to pick for Britain this summer," he said.
“Farmers are incredibly proud to be producing food for the nation at this crucial time but there are challenges and the support of the British public is incredibly valued.”
How does Pick for Britain work?
If recruiters are a GLAA licensed recruitment company, or a grower with an employment website of their own, then Pick for Britain will add a link on their jobs page.
The NFU said recruiters should also list their job vacancies on the government’s free Find a Job service, run by the Department for Work and Pensions.
Farms and small businesses should advertise individual jobs on the Find a Job service to advertise vacancies directly to people who are looking for work.
They can also contact one of the recruiters listed on the Pick for Britain jobs page.
For those looking for farm work, visit Pick for Britain's jobs page or the Find a Job service.
