Lantra Scotland Annual Review 2020-21

Photo: Anna Campbell

LANTRA SCOTLAND

ANNUAL REVIEW 2020-2021

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Foreword Liz Barron-Majerik, Lantra Scotland Director Lantra works to ensure that our land-based, aquaculture and environmental conservation sector attracts and supports the skilled new entrants and workers that it needs. This is vital both to enhance our natural environment and to support the rural economy, and hence our activities are fully aligned with the priorities of the Scottish Government; supporting delivery in a wide range of areas including education, farming, environment, aquaculture, forestry, climate change and food and drink.

Our work naturally evolves to meet the changing priorities of the multiple industries we serve. Changes arising from Brexit, initiatives such as the Skills Action Plan for Rural Scotland and an increasing focus on the climate emergency all informed our planning and delivery for 2020-21. We could not have planned for COVID-19, but throughout lockdown we continued to respond, flexible and innovate to ensure we were able to meet the needs of our sector. Whether through the rapid development of the Skills Matching Service, the online Careers Information Service, working in partnership with Scottish Government on the joint CivTech 5.0 proposal and the subsequent work with SkillSeeder, the agricultural Modern Apprenticeship pilot, supporting instructor network development, the Women in Agriculture Practical Training Fund and the Women in Rural Economy Training Fund, we have continued our commitment to finding innovative solutions to skills challenges.

In the last year we reached out in a different way, adapting how and where we worked. The sector needed us to rapidly take on new projects whilst still delivering on targets. It wasn’t always easy, but we did it, and now, as we look forward to the ‘next normal’, we are more confident than ever in our ability to respond, connect, innovate and help.

Liz Barron-Majerik

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Promoting positive and rewarding career choices to a diverse audience We work to ensure more young people, career changers and career influencers have a better understanding of the rewarding career opportunities that exist in the land-based and aquaculture sector. Our support helps more employers and employees to be actively engaged in championing skills and career opportunities.

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Jim gets a job for the day career videos and 4 additional industry champions journey videos with farmer and comedian Jim Smith to help challenge preconceptions about our industries and promote opportunities for new entrants.

3

interactive career presentations covering

aquaculture,

animal care and

land-based engineering.

2

new STEM Ambassador Schemes supported development of 14 aquaculture and forestry STEM Ambassadors.

support requests received through the new Career Information Service set up in response to COVID-19.

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new career case studies.

First

virtual 2021 Awards for Land-based and Aquaculture Skills (ALBAS) streamed on Facebook and YouTube to celebrate the achievements of the finalists.

133

parents, teachers, career advisers, pupils and Developing the Young Workforce regional staff attended our VirtRural Careers event.

9

new industry career brochures with increased focus on technology, climate change and sustainability.

“Excellent event with speakers who had a lot of knowledge about their industries”

“Going to share the resources with pupils and encourage them to do their own research”

“Very good insight into different areas – learned lots”

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Industry Champions Through the Initiative we help to inspire the next generation of learners and support skills development. Our Champions have all been finalists in our ALBAS and recognised for demonstrating inspirational qualities and making outstanding contributions to the workplace.

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Our Industry Champions supported

7

partnership career initiatives

contributed to.

3 11

personal development virtual training sessions covering social media and vlogging run for our Industry Champions, ‘Thinking on your feet’ Unconscious Bias and Challenging Conversations.

new 2021 ALBAS finalists became Champions.

5

Champions took part in the Springboard to Rural Skills Project and intend to become training instructors.

Commended

in the Scottish Land & Estates’ ‘Helping it Happen’ Awards for our Champions Initiative.

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3

new funds launched. The Women in Agriculture Practical Training Fund, the Women in the Rural Economy Training Fund and Modern Apprenticeship Agriculture support.

Listening and Learning Scotland team and Industry Champions completed Unconscious Bias and Challenging Conversations training to help address bias and improve equality and diversity in our sector.

2

Have joined in the First Minister’s National Advisory Council on Women & Girls ‘Circle’ meetings.

team members are now mental health first aiders.

Attended...

National Rural Mental Health Forum virtual workshops ensuring we understand related issues as well-being is integral to Lantra’s work.

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Influencing learning and training provision We work to increase awareness and understanding of learning and training provision ensuring skills policies, strategies and support reflect the needs of our sector. We also promote the uptake of land-based learning and training.

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VirtRural Animated Supported video Skills via Zoom covering a variety of topics.

produced explaining what Lantra does in Scotland.

the Growing Rural Talent project and other projects for apprentices and nature-based skills.

Research

commissioned (with support from Skills Development Scotland) into Equine Modern Apprenticeships to identify challenges around recruitment and training.

Led

on a consultation on Quarter Review Payments with partners and SDS, based on recommendations from research we commissioned last year.

Exploring opportunities for land-based businesses to become more involved with Foundation Apprenticeships (a key action from the Recruiting for the Future Report) by carrying out research, producing a report and raising awareness with larger land-based employers.

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participants recruited to the

Springboard for Rural Skills Project with the Scottish Government to grow and diversify the network of training instructors, including 11 women and 15 under 40.

Promotion videos produced.

Toolkit developed on Apprenticeships for Rural Employers with support from SDS.

Created a page of advertorial for Scottish Apprenticeship week in the Scottish Farmer on behalf of the Skills for Farming Group.

Key Partner in Skills Action Plan for Rural Scotland and other Industry Skills Group activities.

Created a new Horticulture Skills Group with two working groups already established relating to Communication and Curriculum.

5

business case studies

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Driving investment in learning and skills development We increase awareness and understanding of the business benefits and improved performance of investing in learning, skills development and training.

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Launched an agricultural apprenticeship pilot project to help promote the value of vocational training more widely across the agriculture industry.

Produced an article in the Forestry Machine Journal on the Modern Apprentice Forestry Machine Operator Pilot.

1200

registered in the Skills Matching Service we ran for the Scottish Government, ensuring rural and land-based businesses in Scotland could find key workers during COVID-19.

Created 24 a report for the Forestry upskilling and reskilling project and an Induction pack circulated to colleges.

Skills groups organised and minuted.

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Organised Activities Social and delivered an employer’s apprenticeship webinar on behalf of the Skills for Farming Group.

participated in Aquaculture Skills Action Plan Steering Group Activities resulting in new innovative ways to promote career opportunities.

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Facebook page likes Twitter followers

Supported

Instagram followers

the development of SkillSeeder app by participating in CivTech 5.0 with Scottish Government. The app should revolutionise access to training and skills development opportunities in rural areas and beyond and was a key action in the Women in Agriculture Taskforce Report.

Web page views Video views

51% 35% 79% 24%

207,500

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Looking forward 2021-22 In the coming year, Lantra is committed to continue working closely with key partners and stakeholders.

Supporting the development of the Horticulture Skills Group and all our other sector Skills Groups.

Working

with the Scottish Government on the development of Green Skills across the sector.

Redesigning the website and careers resources.

Increasing the support available to support and develop instructors.

Reviewing

and celebrating the delivery of our training funds, including the Women in Agriculture Practical Training Fund, the Women in the Rural Economy Training Fund and the MA Agriculture Apprentice Support.

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“Green skills are wide ranging and will be vital to delivering our future ambitions across sectors from nature‑based tourism, land and environmental management, forestry, green finance, and low carbon farming.”

Protecting Scotland, Renewing Scotland: The Government’s Programme for Scotland 2020-2021

Lantra Scotland, Annual Review 2020-2021

Lantra Scotland, Inveralmond Business Centre, Auld Bond Road, Perth PH1 3FX T: 01738 310164

www.scotland.lantra.co.uk

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@LantraScotland @lantra.scotland Photo: Harry Henderson of AHDB