Comment: Technology lures new generations

For years the agricultural industry has struggled to recruit new talent to the sector. Long, solitary working hours, pressure on milk and grain prices and the general misconception that one needs only very basic skills to work in farming had really taken a toll on the industry, making it an unappealing option for our aspirational youngsters.
Bill Meredith, deputy principal at Bishop Burton College, Beverley.Bill Meredith, deputy principal at Bishop Burton College, Beverley.
Bill Meredith, deputy principal at Bishop Burton College, Beverley.

But now there is clear evidence of renewed interest in agriculture as a first choice career, borne on a wave of innovation and technological progress.

BBC Countryfile presenter, Adam Henson, recently said that ‘farming needs to make itself sexy again’, and he has a point. For a long time farming has been reliant on an ageing workforce - but all that is changing, thanks, in part, to the growth and widespread use of technology in the industry. For the first time in 20 years, the average age of the agriculture worker is on the decline – a clear sign that the market is attracting the young talent it so vitally needs.

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Here at Bishop Burton College, we have done a lot to make agriculture more appealing to young people. From working with industry leaders to develop new provision that meets the skills needs of the sector, to partnering with businesses such as Agrii and Asda to provide unique access to resources and expertise, the College has expanded its agriculture offering four-fold, providing a broad range of vocational courses that now appeal to the so-called ‘Generation Y’ - the millennial generation that have only ever known technology.

Technology has spawned a new hybrid of agriculture student - one with a mix of traditional hands-on skills and an in-depth understanding of the technological advances now available. This not only equips them with the core skills the industry needs, but teaches them the power of technology and how it can be applied to a traditional farm business to make it more sustainable.

While our courses remain true to their roots, providing solid foundations in practical skills such as tractor driving and ploughing, the students also make use of, and learn with the very latest in technology. GPS navigational software that can map a field, reduce the impact of human error and better target agrochemical inputs is now a routine part of agricultural practice and our students get first-hand experience with such technology.

Students also regularly work with unmanned aerial vehicles using them as an ‘eye-in-the-sky’ to assess soil compaction and changes in crop growth throughout the year. Technology like this has injected new life into the industry, making it appeal to a much broader range of young people.

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In recent years, the College has observed a sharp rise in its students from non-farming backgrounds, with one in three students studying agriculture and related industries now coming from inner city areas.

Despite the challenges of fluctuating commodity prices and the uncertainty over ‘Brexit’, the farming industry is on the crest of a technological wave, and the new enthusiasm and ideas that our young people are bringing to the sector is what will drive it forward.

Drive and ambition to succeed has never been more apparent than in today’s young people. They have grown up seeing the farming community struggle, and don’t want their lot to end the same way.

Bill Meredith is the deputy principal at Bishop Burton College, Beverley.

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