Next Generation

and Guilds National Certificate in Land-based Engineering. The scheme encourages anyone with an interest in agricultural machinery to consider a career in land-based engineering. The qualification balances theory with practical tasks including servicing and maintenance on a wide range of equipment.

The scheme which commenced in 2017 when New Holland Agriculture and Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) Oatridge campus joined forces to create the fouryear agricultural engineering qualification for Scottish school leavers. The National Certificate in Land-based Engineering allows applicants to begin their apprenticeship by studying for a year to attain the certificate and then undertake a further two years study to gain their SVQ level 2 once employment within the agricultural industry had been secured. If a New Holland dealership is willing to employ an applicant without a National Certificate, they can proceed straight to the SVQ. The apprentices now have the potential to progress through further training and experience towards becoming one of New Holland’s Master Technicians.

Mark Barnes Product Support and Brand Service UK & ROI said “It’s really great to see the first output from this program which is receiving good reviews from both employers and students alike.

Graduation from the program is only the first step in what is potentially a very exciting career path. We look forward to seeing the recent graduates in the New Holland Basildon Training Centre as their knowledge and experience grows on the way to becoming a New Holland Master Technician”.

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GENERATION

This Next Generation column is a collaboration between the Royal Agricultural Society of the Commonwealth Next Generation (RASC) and NFU Scotland Next Generation.

Taking on the challenge for a better farming future

By Peter Moss

Shorthorn Suckler cows in partnership with parents in the East Mainland of Orkney and also has diversified into renewables and a Hot Tub sales and rental business. He is the chairman of the NFUS Next Generation committee and is also an extraordinary director of RHASS for 21/22.

As the dust from COP 26 settles and we try to work out what effect if any, the decisions and deals made in Glasgow will affect us there is no denying change is in the forecast at some point.

As the next generation of farmers, SAYFC and NFUS Next Generation collaborated in writing an open letter to Mairi Gougeon, not to moan about the negative press we are receiving but to show that we are ready and willing to play our part in achieving net-zero and enhance biodiversity, but any rules implemented must be based on science and accounts for the good we can do.

The social impacts of a thriving agricultural industry must be accounted for, otherwise, we will see a new type of clearances, where farming will be unviable, and in turn, the spider web of supply businesses and rural communities will fall, to the detriment of the already fragile remote areas.

It is important that we remain proactive and positive though, we must find the opportunities in the challenges, and not get dragged down into slagging matches with extremists, or even worse amongst ourselves in the industry. We have a massive potential to adapt our farming techniques to balance farming that benefits the environment, whilst producing food sustainably.

I joined the Smithfield Forum in London to discuss the future direction of the livestock industry, along with other participants ranging from farmers to processors to retailers.

There was a packed afternoon of presentations highlighting various issues, the first of most concern to me from Professor Alice Stanton was about falsifications in research data in medical journals, wrongly inflating red meat links to cancer. The report in question has already been used by the Government to shape food and health policy, so it is important the scientists calling out these falsehoods are supported so that our industry is not damaged by those with an anti-meat agenda.

Another presentation by Lord Deben, Chair of the UK’s Independent Committee on Climate Change highlighted a number of challenges we face as an agricultural industry going forward, but his standout comment was “food production is a public good”. This is too often lost on many in charge, but the balance of food security and environmentally friendly production is going to be critical going forward.

Lord Deben himself is an organic farmer, one comment that was of slight concern to me was that we need to push the public to eat less but better meat. My worry is the less but better argument implies our product is flawed to the public, and if we were to be restricted on headage of livestock production, the critical mass of livestock in our fragile areas will be too low to sustain livestock through higher input and processing costs with lower economies of scale and will make farming in these areas unviable.

Going forward it is extremely important we are on the front foot, and demonstrate the good we offer, and show willingness to change. It’s probably going to be a challenge, but seeing the farmers across the country investing and adapting their businesses I think We’re up to it.