Lantra Scotland's summary annual report for 2019-20

Lantra works to enhance Scotland’s natural environment and support the rural economy, by increasing the number and diversity of employees in the land-based and aquaculture sector, and driving their skills development. As well as promoting the economic and environmental benefits of investing in skills, Lantra helps to inform policies, provision and funding, and promotes rewarding careers across the sector. Lantra is supported in this work by the Scottish Government.

Lantra is also one of the leading awarding bodies for land-based industries in both the UK and the Republic of Ireland. We develop quality training courses and nationally recognised qualifications that are delivered through a national network of training provider partners.

Foreword from Lantra’s Scotland Director

On behalf of the Lantra Scotland team, and our Scotland Chair, Henry Graham, I am delighted to present this summary of our contribution to what has been a busy and productive year for skills development in Scotland’s land-based and aquaculture industries.

In this review, we provide some more detail on the progress we have made towards our goals. We list some of our key achievements and activities, and highlight where we have played a key role in supporting talent attraction and skills development within the sector.

For example, in the past year, we supported a range of important work impacting on skills in the rural area. This has included some innovative delivery models, such as branded and pre-apprenticeships, as well as the launch of a new toolkit designed to support businesses considering taking on an apprentice for the first time.

We delivered a very successful Career Influencer workshop and continue to emphasise the importance of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) subjects to the industries we represent. We have refreshed and developed our business and new entrant case studies, and we have done so in print, on-line and in video format, both independently and in partnership with others. All were well-received and helped us to communicate the rewarding opportunities available within the sector.

We commissioned research into some of the challenges involved in the delivery of Modern Apprenticeships within our sector, and look forward to helping identify and implement the most effective solutions. We also ran three Skills Summits, and the intelligence gathered is helping us to identify a number of new ways to better promote our most diverse and exciting sector to potential new entrants.

And finally (shortly before restrictions came into place) the 2020 Awards for Land Based and Aquaculture Skills, was a fantastic event, with over 240 guests celebrating the success and achievements of the finalists.

Following on from this event, we hope to increase the number of industry champions, who have been supported by their employers to develop and become fantastic ambassadors for the sector.

There is no doubt that the next year will have its challenges. However, it is also clear that partnership working will continue to be key in raising awareness and understanding of the diverse and rewarding careers within our sector, for advisors, school staff and other ‘influencers’. And although in the immediate future this might take different forms or require new technologies, we look forward to continuing this into 2020-21.

I am very grateful to my colleagues in Lantra for all their hard work and pro-active approach, and to the Scottish Government’s agriculture and rural economy team for their continuing support. Key to our success has also been the many industry and skills partners who have worked with us closely to help drive skills development forwards in support of Scotland’s diverse and vibrant rural economy.

Whilst it is clear that next year’s annual report will likely look very different from the one we present today, we are confident that we will be able to continue to build on our strong progress to date and continue to ensure that we helps ensure the businesses within our sector can meet their skills needs.

I look forward to continuing our work with you all, innovating and building on this momentum in 2020- 21 and beyond.

Dr Liz Barron-Majerik, MBE

April 2020

Promoting positive and rewarding career choices

This area of our work aims to give more young people, career changers and influencers a better understanding of the many rewarding career opportunities that exist within the land-based and aquaculture sector. Our work also helps more employers and employees to be actively engaged in championing skills and career opportunities.

With partners, we delivered interactive activities and promoted land-based training and qualifications at the Royal Highland Show 2019, in order to increase awareness of sector skills and career opportunities. Activities included our support for a Pathways careers event and a teacher’s session on how Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths is used within sector careers.

Our Awards for Land-based and Aquaculture Skills (ALBAS) were held at Doubletree by Hilton Dunblane Hydro on 6 March 2020, thanks to strong support from a range of partners. The event celebrated the achievements of the sector’s top trainees in Scotland. It was attended by over 240 people and hosted by Jim Smith, well-known Perthshire farmer and stand-up comedian. A new forestry trophy was donated by Forestry and Land Scotland and a new category for partnership working was introduced. The Overall Winner was inspiring young Game and Wildlife trainee Charlie Blance.

Luke Taylor, Environmental Conservation WINNER 2019

Louise Main, Agriculture RUNNER UP 2019

Isla Campbell, Higher Education RUNNER UP 2019 (Trees & Timber)

Industry Champions Initiative

- Inspiring the next generation

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

HIGHLIGHTS

Knowledge Exchange Event involved the Champions travelling to Callander for a fascinating insight into the fisheries management industry, hosted by Champion Scott Mason and apprentice Marco Ezzi. This was followed by a development workshop on presentation skills, designed to help support our Champions in their role.

Royal Highland Show saw the Champions come together and attend the launch of the Agricultural Employers’ Toolkit by Jamie Hepburn MSP, Minister for Business, Fair Work and Skills followed by a meet and greet. The group then attended the Pathways to Rural Skills event with 3 Champions speaking about their learning journeys.

“Being part of the initiative has given me a platform to promote my brand, my personal experience and engage with a wide variety of audiences that I otherwise would not have been able to reach. The other Champions have taught me new things and expanded my knowledge about other jobs which for me is very useful within my own role as a Ranger.”

Further information on Champions activities 2019-20 can be found online

Business and Stakeholder events supported by our Champions

“Being an Industry Champion has helped put me in touch with some very useful contacts, it’s helped me make new friends and the skills and qualities I have learned from it have been priceless! It’s opened my eyes to the similarities and differences between sectors that make us all so important as well!”

“Being part of the Industry Champions initiative is fantastic.It is so exciting to be part of a welcoming community of people who are likeminded and passionate about land-based and aquaculture education and careers. Taking on the role of an industry champion, has opened doors to new opportunities, taught me new skills and enhanced not only my CV but me as a person.”

INDUSTRY CHAMPIONS – THE NUMBERS

29

Number of Champions who supported career events

3

Champion Personal Development Events

Lantra Scotland Career Events

The Outdoors Careers Day at the House of Dun provided hands-on and informative sessions to increase awareness of career opportunities in the sector to several Angus primary schools.

A Career Influencer event for teachers, Skills Development Scotland Career advisers and others with a career remit, raised awareness of sector careers. A positive evaluation showed participants found the event both informative and engaging.

CAREER EVENTS – THE NUMBERS

4100

School pupils engaged with at career events

16

Video case studies developed and 29 non video case studies

33

Key career events organised or supported by Lantra Scotland, many with a STEM focus

7

Aquaculture career videos in partnership with the Scottish Aquaculture Innovation Centre and Women in Scottish Aquaculture

1

New STEM (Science, Technology,Engineering and Mathematics) resource developed to highlight how STEM is used within sector careers

4 career influencer events

Developing the Young Workforce Engagement

Influencing Learning and Training Provision

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

Regional Skills Meetings

Lantra ran three events in Ayrshire, Inverness and Perth focussed on the topic of ‘Recruiting for the Future’. These events showcased what was working well within the sector, shared information on new initiatives designed to support rural recruitment and identified areas for development. Participants came from education, industry and support organisations. The events took the form of presentations followed by round table discussions on specific topics. The findings will help to inform Lantra’s work in partnership with others.

An example of what people told us they would do after attending one of the meetings

On behalf of the Skills for Farming group and with support from Skills Development Scotland, Lantra developed an Agricultural Employers’ Toolkit to help raise awareness and understanding of Apprenticeships and work placements. The Toolkit was launched at the Royal Highland Show by Jamie Hepburn MSP, Minister for Business, Fair Work and Skills.

Following a request from Skills Development Scotland, Lantra has started work on a Rural Employers’ Toolkit to support and extend the reach of the existing Agricultural Employers’ Toolkit and to ensure there is the same level of guidance for other businesses in the rural sector.

Lantra participated in partnership skills groups across a number of industries, including Food and Drink, Trees and Timber, Aquaculture, Skills for Farming, Road Haulage and Aberdeenshire Rural Skills Group.

We have been working to improve the quality and range of training provision by:

• facilitating meetings of industry representatives and support organisations to discuss the potential for a sheep/beef apprenticeship and next steps.

• helping to steer and support the pre-apprenticeship pilot in Agriculture as well as the hosted apprenticeship steering group.

• participating in the Growing Rural Talent project whose aim is to establish clear, viable and attractive pathways for the agriculture and forestry industries

• facilitating the annual Modern Apprenticeship demand validation meeting between SDS and provider and industry representatives to ensure Modern Apprenticeship commissioning by SDS is reflective of projected industry demand.

• holding a meeting to discuss a potential Forestry internship programme and leading on a call for mentors to come forward to register interest.

As part of our Standards, Qualifications and Modern Apprenticeships work. We have:

• attended and contributed to a number of framework reviews including the Agriculture and Livestock Production SVQ and Modern Apprenticeship review and associated SVQ in General Woodland and Forestry Treework at SCQF Level 6.

• been involved in discussions about a vet nursing Modern Apprenticeship and are in the process of reviewing the Environmental Conservation National Occupational Standards.

Lantra have applied for funding for instructor development in order to increase training provision for rural businesses and diversity and succession planning within the instructor network.

Lantra commissioned a Review of Land-based and Aquaculture Modern Apprenticeships: Delivery and Resources in response to its role in helping to support providers and influence support for delivery. The draft report is currently being considered by key strategic partners with a view to supporting innovation and collaborative working to improve both provision and uptake.

Lantra staff spoke at the Inaugural Women in Food and Agriculture Summit in Amsterdam on ‘Recruiting for the Future: Overcoming rural skills challenges in Scotland’ and discussed the challenges and visions for the future with women working in the food and agriculture sector from around the world.

Driving investment in learning and skills development

Lantra works to increase awareness and understanding of the business benefits of investing in learning, skills development and training. Our aim is to increase investment in learning, and improved business performance across our sector.

Lantra Scotland’s Director took on the role of Chair for the Forestry Skills Forum (England) meetings and identified good practice for dissemination north and south of the border.

Lantra has gained additional funding through Skills Development Scotland to help address the need for reskilling and upskilling those working in forestry especially at entry level. We will work with partners to ensure activities align with the aims of the Scottish Forest and Timber Technologies Industry Leadership Group (SFTT ILG) and the Skills Action Plan for Rural Scotland.

Lantra presented research we had commissioned entitled ‘A review of the future of the forestry workforce in Scotland’ and the final report was published on the Scottish Forest and Timber Technologies website.

Lantra is an active participant in the Aquaculture Skills Action Plan Steering Group leading on Recommendation 1 (Promoting the sector as a career destination and widening the recruitment pool). Lantra actions have included a 360o VR video, suite of career videos with partners and Aquaculture Prezi resource showcasing the range of jobs within the industry.

Lantra have joined The Scottish Partnership Against Rural Crime (SPARC) and their communication group to represent skills within the initiative.

Lantra are in discussion with partners on the creation of a ‘Sustainability Core Skills SVQ Unit’ that would be flexible enough to be used in a range of programmes both within and beyond the land-based and aquaculture sector.

Lantra attended the Scottish Enterprise Rural Leaders Learning Journey to the Netherlands and shared good practice in innovation, academic support, new entrants and effective links between producers and consumers.

INVESTMENT IN SKILLS DEVELOPMENT - THE NUMBERS

2

Videos with Jim Smith (farmer and comedian), one highlighting mental health and the other promoting Modern Apprenticeship which had an amazing 246,000 views in 2 weeks

6

Case studies showcased the value of training for employers

4

Blogs were produced on mentoring, keeping children safe on farms, dealing with stress and reducing our carbon footprint

5

Podcasts covered pre-apprenticeships in agriculture, Employers’ Toolkit , Industry Champions Initiative, careers in aquaculture and environmental conservation

Key Priorities for 2020-2021

In the coming year, Lantra is committed to continue working closely with key partners and stakeholders.

We will build on the findings of the Rural Skills Summits and to review modern apprenticeship delivery models as a result of the research commissioned late last year. We will also work to review the delivery of agriculture and aquaculture apprenticeships and identify where changes might best support providers and employers.

Early in the year, Lantra worked with the Scottish Government and partners to create a skills matching service to support key rural and land-based businesses during COVID-19 restrictions. The aim being to ensure the sector was able to access key workers and continue operating. We will continue to support and develop this service, and to review how best to fill any remaining skills gaps once restrictions are lifted.

THE FUTURE

Our workplan has a strong focus on the climate emergency and how we might best support our sector to help combat environmental change and biodiversity loss. In order to ensure we attract the best and brightest new entrants, we will also be reviewing our marketing materials with a focus on how the land and sectors are key to addressing climate change and habitat loss.