Farming Minister Mark Spencer has thrown his weight behind a campaign encouraging farmers and farm workers to test a new online skills and careers service.
Hundreds have already signed up for the Institute for Agriculture and Horticulture's (TIAH), which offers tailored advice and tools to support career development.
The service, which is currently in development, aims to offer opportunities for people at every stage of their agri career, helping review skills, plot training journeys, and record achievements along the way.
And feedback from farmers participating in the development is allowing the service to be fine-tuned prior to its formal launch next January.
Mark Spencer, who is Defra's farming minister, is encouraging more people in the industry to sign up to the service to help test it.
He said: “The institute has recently launched a test version of its online support platform and I encourage each of you to actively engage with it and share your views.
"Your feedback will play a big role in its future development, making sure it is aligned with the evolving needs of the farming and growing community."
Among the features on offer, the online service can help users improve and demonstrate their professional skills and knowledge.
They can assess their current skills, identify knowledge gaps, receive tailored training recommendations and record their learning and development, all in their own online hub.
TIAH’s chief executive, Stephen Jacob said it was vital that online service meets the needs of everyone working in farming and growing.
"We’d love as many people as possible to get involved in helping us test it before our full launch next January.
"It’s a great opportunity to get free access to skills and careers support while also helping us fine-tune the service."
Liz Haines, a tenant dairy farmer in Staffordshire who joined the test site, thinks it is a useful resource for the farming industry.
She said: “I've been impressed by the breadth of resources available on the TIAH online service, and it's very handy to have them all gathered together in one place.
"The opportunity to dip into training and other learning materials at our own pace will be invaluable for our staff. I’d urge others to try it out as it offers a range of very helpful resources.”
