The plan aims to support employers and agencies in their work sourcing labour, and offers tips and guidance to improve the chances of employment success.
This includes exploring ways to increase labour efficiency in your business. The AHDB is currently running free Labour Efficiency workshops exploring how concepts of Lean and Champion production management systems could be implemented in horticultural businesses. The next one will be on 9th May in Cornwall. https://horticulture.ahdb.org.uk/event/labour-efficiency-workshop-cornwall
The NFU has maintained that a competent and reliable workforce is vital for British farms to continue producing the food to feed the public, and has continued to press government for an urgent solution to avoid any worker shortages.
Statistics from the NFU’s labour providers survey showed that there was a 12.5% shortfall of workers in 2017.
NFU horticulture and potatoes board vice-chairman Derek Wilkinson said: “Without a reliable workforce we don’t have a business, so we should do everything we can do to attract people to work in farming, whether that’s for a few months of the year, or on a permanent basis.
“This plan acts as a good checklist for employers looking to improve their chances of recruitment success.
“It goes hand-in-hand with the call to government to provide clarity and assurance that we will have access to the workforce we need, up to and after we leave the EU.
“Farming is a long-term business – on my farm we will be making planting decisions this summer in preparation for next season. I will do everything in my power to attract the workers I need but government has a pivotal role to play here too.
Stephanie Maurel, CEO of labour provider Concordia, said: “Last year we experienced fewer candidates turning up to recruitment events in Europe, a higher number of people not arriving in the UK to take up their job offer and more workers returning home earlier in the season.
“The feedback we had from the workforce was that they are confused over what Brexit means for them, the exchange rate isn’t as attractive and they are looking for jobs outside farming – this is especially true of those with good levels of English.
“We’re confident that we’ll be able to meet our clients’ labour requirements in 2018 but both we, and the businesses we supply workers to, will need to continue to work hard to attract the right number and calibre of workers.”
Below: Hayley Campbell-Gibbons, NFU chief adviser for horticulture & potatoes, explains how the 10-point plan can benefit members