Horticultural Workforce project - what we found out and what we're going to do about it.

1. Horticultural Workforce
Horticultural Workforce
Champion Project
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Findings and Next Steps
Copyright Dr Alan Rae 2010

2. Challenges we face as growers
Challenges we face as growers
• Concentration of purchasing power
for edibles into a few major players
who dictate the terms of trade.
who dictate the terms of trade.
• Run down of research meaning
many varieties are imported.
• Perceived poor education and work
ethic in the UK cause dependence
on migrant labour.
on migrant labour
• Poor image with career advisers.
• Skills and qualifications don’t align
Skills and qualifications don t align.
• Industry knowledge base depends
on ageing workforce – where are
innovative leaders to come from?
Copyright Dr Alan Rae 2010

3. 3 stage project
3 stage project
• We wanted to find some examples of people
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who had good stories to tell
• Interviewed 30 growers and stake holders
• P d d 24
Produced a 24 page workforce guide, 4 case
kf id 4
studies with video clips and a web site to
download materials and support discussion
• We need speaking platforms to promote it
Copyright Dr Alan Rae 2010

4. The common pattern
The common pattern
• Companies have a small core team
• Look to Eastern European for temporary workers
Look to Eastern European for temporary workers
• Recruit supervisors /junior management from
temporary workersk
• Go outside the industry for new blood
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• Supply chain pressures make horticultural
training difficult
t i i diffi lt
• industry seen as second class by Government
and recruiters Copyright Dr Alan Rae 2010

5. Training Barriers
Training Barriers
• Supply chain pressures force specialisation
• Low margins mean lack of money for training
Low margins mean lack of money for training
• Colleges can’t run courses with critical mass
• Assurance schemes and regulation channel
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money into mandatory areas that crowd out
business development training
• Th
There is no recognised path to develop the
i i d th t d l th
integrated management needs for the
businesses of the future
Copyright Dr Alan Rae 2010

6. This is a creative,
technical industry
• Successful companies are embracing IiP and
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Lean methodologies and are committed to
training
• There are some interesting initiatives
There are some interesting initiatives
– Plant Science at Level 3 for Amenity Horticulture
– Ready Trained peak staff – Concordia / Scion
– Flexible – on‐site training from Plumpton
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– Soil Association apprentice ship scheme
– Increase in local authority apprenticeships
Increase in local authority apprenticeships
Copyright Dr Alan Rae 2010

7. Underlying business principles
for workforce development
1. Adopt good HR Practices
2. Aim to keep the core team employed
through the year
3. Find ways of making peak resourcing easier
4. Be innovative in looking for new blood
4 Be innovative in looking for new blood
5. Set our own agenda for training and
researchh
6. Tell the story better
Copyright Dr Alan Rae 2010

8. Principle 1
Principle 1
• Adopt basic HR good practice
– Iip has worked for those who’ve done it
– Have a proper induction and set out the expectations
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clearly – with achievable milestones and backup to make
sure it happens.
• Justin Coleman at Leckford reduced turnover from 60% pa to 2%
• Recognise that it takes more than 3 days for someone to settle in
– Get skilled at working with mixed nationality teams
Get skilled at working with mixed nationality teams
– Work within an IiP or Lean framework
Copyright Dr Alan Rae 2010

9. Principle 2
Principle 2
• Aim to keep your core team employed
Aim to keep your core team employed
throughout the year
– Di
Diversify the business so people can move from
if th b i l f
job to job.
• Hankham / Golden Plain / Fletching
/ /
– Use Annualised hours
• Lowaters
– Multi Skill ‐ find ways to let go those who resist
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Copyright Dr Alan Rae 2010

10. Principle 3
Principle 3
• Make peak resourcing easier
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– Build direct relationships with contacts of people who have
already worked in the business
– Use agencies with a longer term relationship – Concordia /
HOPS / Scion
– Create your own bank of people for temporary work
Create your own bank of people for temporary work
• Students
• Mature people
Mature people
• People with accredited skills
– If the NHS can staff theatres like that – surely we can grow
If the NHS can staff theatres like that surely we can grow
fruit and vegetables
Copyright Dr Alan Rae 2010

11. Principle 4
Principle 4
• Be innovative in looking for new blood
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– Many East Europeans are here to stay. Their
education and work ethic is good –recognise their
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strengths
– Go beyond relevant degrees – the industry needs
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bright graduates with a technical, numerate bent.
If you have to take a graduate from a decent
University and train him up as a pack house
manager – may be you should just do it.
Copyright Dr Alan Rae 2010

12. Principle 5
Principle 5
• Recognise that as far as training and R&D is
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concerned we have to set our own agenda
– There’s a real need for plant science
• Reading and the HDC/HTA KTP initiative
– Know whether you need a craft based approach like the
h h d f b d hlk h
soil association apprenticeship scheme or an engineering
approach where you re running a glass factory.
approach where you’re running a glass factory
– Be clear about what you need.
– Tell anyone who’ll listen that we need underpinning
Tell anyone who ll listen that we need underpinning
knowledge – not skills assessments alone.
– Collaborate
Copyright Dr Alan Rae 2010

13. Principle 6
Principle 6
Recognise we have to sell the industry
R i h t ll th i d t
– Work with Schools and take part in their diplomas
• Learn about the Qualifications and Credits Framework
– Tell them what the industry is actually like
Tell them what the industry is actually like
• Highly Technical
• Reasonably paid
Reasonably paid
• Interesting work
• Chance to develop real skills over a period of time
Chance to develop real skills over a period of time
Copyright Dr Alan Rae 2010

14. Telling the World about it
Telling the World about it
• Promote via growers organisations conferences
– aim for speaking slots in the conference season
– So far I have talked at FAST conference, and to LANTRA
• Make use of NFU and GOSE press officers
• Social Media Campaign – Blog – Linked‐in –
Social Media Campaign – Blog – Linked in – Twitter
• Online questionnaire
• Plus our own web‐site – www.growingjobs.org.
Copyright Dr Alan Rae 2010

15. TELLING A BETTER STORY
•Project Web site
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•Case Studies
•“Duffers Guide”
•Message to Policy Makers
Copyright Dr Alan Rae 2010

16. What the principles mean
What the principles mean
• Treat people properly and they will deliver
• Provide secure, interesting, stable employment
P id i i bl l
• Instil flexibility throughout the business
– In your marketing
– In the variety of things that you do
– In the multiskilling of the staff that you have
h l i killi f h ff h h
– By building your training needs into your business plan ‐
and implementing it vigorously
and implementing it vigorously
– By focusing on adding value to the customer
Copyright Dr Alan Rae 2010

17. What we need to do
• Educate the educators about the story we have to tell.
• Recognise that the future is all about flexible working and
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proactively embrace it.
– Create your own labour bank or work with organisations like
Scion and Concordia
Scion and Concordia
• Reclaim education and research
– Martin Emmett’s made a start with propagation techniques.
– Get the infantry skilled up.
– Position the industry as suitable for bright engineers
– B ild i d h b i
Build in‐depth business and plant knowledge
d l k l d
Copyright Dr Alan Rae 2010

18. Headline Messages
Headline Messages
• Sell the industry as a good place to work – and
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look for new blood in unconventional places
• Tell Government and educators what training we
need
need
• Tell Multiples ‐ and their customers ‐ that over
aggressive procurement means an unstable
supply chain that can t deliver Food Security
supply chain that can’t deliver Food Security –
we need Margin to develop the Workforce
• Ad t
Adopt good HR, IiP and Lean practices
d HR IiP d L ti
Copyright Dr Alan Rae 2010