Fully funded training pathway launched to boost farming careers

A new agricultural training programme to support the development of farming’s next generation has been launched by the Yorkshire Agricultural Society.

Ambitious farmers aged under 35 are encouraged to apply for a place on the Goodall Agri-Development Pathway which has been developed thanks to a legacy left to the Society specifically to support young people in farming.
There are 12 places on this unique, annual programme, all fully funded by farming charity the Yorkshire Agricultural Society.

Successful candidates will complete eight training modules covering different aspects of agricultural businesses and will emerge with the skills, confidence and experience they need to take on extra responsibilities as part of their career progression.

There will be a mixture of face-to-face and online learning, farm visits and conferences, supported by insights from expert speakers. Each module lasts between one and four days. Some modules require overnight stays.

Topics covered over an eight-month period, starting with the first module in March 2024, are: knowing yourself and working in a team, navigating working relationships, sustainable business development and agri-marketing, leadership, basic HR, influencing and educating stakeholders, farm administration, and diversification, innovation and change.

The Pathway supports the professional development of younger people who have finished their formal education and would benefit from expert guidance to get to grips with the different responsibilities of working for or managing an agricultural business.

Lynsey Pack, Head of Charitable Activities at the Yorkshire Agricultural Society said: “This training programme is for you if you have not studied agriculture to a high academic level, or if you would benefit from refreshing some elements of your time in education at a land-based college or university.

“Ideal candidates include those who wish to learn new skills and get experience so that they can develop their careers and grow their knowledge and confidence to take on more responsibilities within the business. Perhaps you wish to pursue a farm diversification but need the confidence and skills to take the next steps? This programme can be your launch pad.”

The Pathway has been designed in consultation with younger farmers and the deadline to apply is 8th January 2024.

Allister Nixon, chief executive of the Yorkshire Agricultural Society said: “The Yorkshire Agricultural Society is grateful to the late-Mary Goodall, who kindly bequeathed a legacy to the Society to further its charitable aims to support young people in the agricultural industry. The result of this kind gift is the Goodall Agri-Development Pathway which will give young people the confidence and skills they need to take the next steps in their professional development.”

Applicants for places on the Goodall Agri-Development Pathway will be interviewed by a selection panel before the end of January 2024. Successful candidates – or ‘Pathfinders’ – will be informed in February 2024. The first module will take place in March 2024, with subsequent modules to follow over the course of the next seven months, before a celebratory awards presentation at the Great Yorkshire Show in 2025.

Whilst places are fully funded, a £250 deposit refundable upon completion of the Pathway is required to secure a place following a successful application. Applicants need to live or work in the North of England and work in farming and allied industries.

To apply for a place, submit a completed application form, available on the Yorkshire Agricultural Society website yas.co.uk before the application window closes on 8th January 2024. To request more information, please contact the Charitable Activities team at the Yorkshire Agricultural Society by emailing education@yas.co.uk