Page 47 - Regional Employment & Skills Plan

3.4 Food and Farming
The Food and Farming sector is a significant part of the Welsh economy encompassing a large part of the food and drink supply chain and includes primary production and agriculture as well as the manufacturing and preparation of food and drink. This is an area where traditionally the region has a strong presence and has a number of established brands and producers.
The Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing sector employs around 24,900 individuals at a regional level. In addition, the same statistics indicate that 106,600 individuals are employed within the Wholesale, Retail, Transport and Hotels and Food sector.44 Although it is not possible to determine what proportion of this total relates solely to the food sector, the significant over-all total is a good indicator that the sector is one of importance in terms of regional employment.
Major opportunities for growth and development across the region include;
• Food technology and food processing have been identified as areas of importance for the Haven Waterway Enterprise Zone. A new food park could create up to 1,000 jobs with the development being targeted at both large-scale vegetable producers, food processing, and dairy product suppliers as well as specialist smaller scale outlets and start-up businesses.45
• There is well-established production and processing capacity across the Mid Wales region with a number of regionally important companies situated in the counties, including; Dunbia, Randall Parker Foods, Rachel’s Dairy etc.
• Furthermore, Horeb is home to one of three Food Innovation Wales locations in the region at the Food Centre Wales.
• Aberystwyth is also home to several important Welsh Agricultural organisations such as Organic Centre Wales and Hybu Cig Cymru.
• One of the largest and most recently developed UK livestock markets is situated in Welshpool.
• Development of a Veterinary School in Aberystwyth, (which is also aligned to the Life Sciences’ sector).
3.4.1 Employer Evidence
Recruitment and Retention
Many employers and industry experts feel that the perception of the sector amongst learners and parents creates challenges in the recruitment of new entrants. As a highly vocational sector a stigma around Apprenticeships exacerbates this poor perception making it difficult to attract talent to the sector.
Raising the profile of Higher Apprenticeships as being equal to degree courses amongst parents and learners would increase interest in the training courses available within the sector. A career pathway tool coupled with this would help raise the profile of the sector as one full of opportunity and progression.
The rural location of some businesses also poses issues for recruitment and also then retention further in the future, this coupled with poor public transport and shift patterns makes it very difficult for individuals to sustain employment within the sector.
A skills assessment conducted by Lantra into the UK Land-based and Environmental sector indicated that between 2010 and 2020 the sector is forecast to require 595,00 more people at a UK wide level.
44 https://statswales.gov.wales/Catalogue/Business-Economy-and-Labour-Market/People-and-Work/ Employment/Jobs/Whole-Workforce/workplaceemployment-by-welshlocalareas-industry
45 http://www.pembrokeshire.gov.uk/content.asp?nav=101,2212&id=34286
45
Regional Employment & Skills Plan South West & Mid Wales Sector Profiles