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Improving access to farming and growing careers

Improving access to farming and growing careers

TIAH Careers Manager Ruthie Peterson explains how she was recently invited to join Yorkshire Agricultural Society’s (YAS) Women in Farming group at a meeting to discuss careers in farming and growing.
TIAH Careers Manager Ruthie Peterson and NFU President Minette Batters in conversation at the Great Yorkshire Show.
TIAH Careers Manager Ruthie Peterson and NFU President Minette Batters in conversation at the Great Yorkshire Show.
TIAH Careers Manager Ruthie Peterson and NFU President Minette Batters in conversation at the Great Yorkshire Show.
TIAH Careers Manager Ruthie Peterson and NFU President Minette Batters in conversation at the Great Yorkshire Show.
25/07/23

The invitation followed a letter by one of TIAH’s Board members in the farming press. It highlighted the importance of work experience in helping young people take up careers in agriculture and horticulture.  

The letter prompted YAS to reach out to TIAH to express their agreement that work experience is important and to share information about their efforts in this area.

Joined-up thinking on careers 

I was keen to meet with the group to talk about the issue. I was invited to join them at a roundtable meeting hosted by NFU president Minette Batters and Fiona MacDonald, Yorkshire Rural Support Network Co-Ordinator. 

A bonus was that the meeting was to be held at the Great Yorkshire Show – as one of the UK’s biggest and best agricultural shows, I jumped at the opportunity! 

The meeting involved a wide-ranging discussion covering various topics, but a particular focus was on careers. 

The need for work experience 

Regarding the need for work experience to support new entrants joining the industry, the discussion centred around who had the greatest potential for increasing the availability of work experience. We were keen to consider whether larger farms and businesses, with the resources to commit to paperwork, should make a greater contribution. Or should smaller businesses get structured support so they feel more able to take on students?  

We also looked at whether concepts such as virtual work experience have a part to play. Virtual work experience uses tours, talks, tasks, and feedback (live and recorded) delivered to students online. In other sectors, like the medical profession, this has increased in popularity since the pandemic.  

Working together is key 

The answer lies in a combination of these three approaches. It was agreed that TIAH, YAS, and the NFU could continue collaborating on supporting smaller farm and horticulture businesses. This could be a booklet or website with legal advice and tips for success.  

YAS floated the idea of hosting a work experience open day on a farm. This would provide an opportunity to showcase best practice examples and offer tips for success.

I would like to thank Fay Grace, YAS's Chair of Charitable Activities, for inviting me to the meeting, and I look forward to working with Fay and other YAS colleagues on career activities in the future.

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