The NFU has welcomed the chancellor’s decision to inject £1.5 billion into skills and apprenticeships, calling it a positive move for farming but warning that the lack of clarity on short-course funding leaves important gaps for the sector.
Announced in the autumn budget, the change means apprenticeships for under-25s will now be fully funded for SME businesses. Most farming businesses fall into this category and currently pay 5% towards the cost of training and assessing an apprentice.
While the saving is modest, the union says it will still help farm businesses support young entrants at a time when labour shortages continue to put pressure on day-to-day operations across agriculture.
NFU vice-president Rachel Hallos said the investment marked welcome progress. “The government’s £1.5 billion commitment to skills and apprenticeships, including fully funded SME apprenticeships for eligible young people, is a positive step for farming,” she said.
However, she criticised the lack of detail around funded short courses—something many farmers rely on to build practical skills quickly and flexibly. At present, these short courses appear limited to the eight priority sectors identified in the government’s Industrial Strategy, leaving agriculture and horticulture outside the initial scope.
“However, we are disappointed by the lack of detail on when funded short courses will be available to agriculture and horticulture businesses, and whether they will be offered on the same basis as other sectors in the government’s Industrial Strategy,” she said.
Hallos added that clarity was essential, particularly given that Farming Minister Dame Angela Eagle has previously highlighted short-course accessibility as a priority.
The NFU has been calling for broader reforms to agricultural training, including simplified routes into apprenticeships, greater flexibility within apprenticeship standards and clearer support for technical upskilling.
The union says such measures are increasingly important as farms look to diversify skillsets to keep pace with new technology, regulatory requirements and labour availability challenges.
Hallos stressed that apprenticeships remain one of the most effective ways to attract and retain new talent. “Apprenticeships inspire the next generation, offering good jobs, clear career pathways and the flexibility to match different ambitions,” she said.
For family farms, she added, apprentices provide “vital support to future proof businesses and bring fresh energy into the sector”, helping to strengthen rural communities and build the skilled workforce agriculture needs.
