Significant numbers of young people are abandoning traditional office-based jobs and seeking to work on the land, according to organic body the Soil Association. However, for many, their lack of experience has been an impediment to finding paid work.

Throughout England and Wales, austerity cuts have also hit young people hard, particularly in rural regions, where loss of public transport, EMA and cuts to other local government services including career guidance have all taken their toll. One youth worker from Shropshire told Farming Online that austerity measures have narrowed the range of opportunities and information available to young people in rural regions, and that the prospect of more cuts to come means the future could be even bleaker, potentially limiting options further. 

In an effort to tackle these problems, the Soil Association launched its new 'Future Growers Scheme', which aims to bring together highly skilled organic growers and a new generation eager to learn. The organic group said that the scheme has been a success since its launch, with over 500 people wanting to join.

The Association said practical training in organic crop production and horticulture is very limited, and existing growers can still struggle to find suitably skilled staff. The scheme provides a six-month traineeship, as well as a two-year apprenticeship to better suit future growers. During the shorter traineeship, young people learn the basics of organic growing and then decide whether they wish to take their knowledge further. 

The scheme is focused on horticulture growing, and trainers provide dedicated mentoring time for their trainees, who are paid a standard agricultural minimum wage. More information on the scheme is available from the Soil Association here. www.soilassociation.org/futuregrowers

Ben Raskin, the orgainsation's Head of Horticulture, commented on the need for the scheme; "We have a wealth of horticultural knowledge in this country which we are in danger of losing if we do not ensure it is passed down from one generation to the next. The Future Growers scheme enables new growers to work alongside highly skilled experts and learn the craft of growing as well as what is takes to make a business succeed."

Two growers involved in the scheme also offered their insight. Kate Edwards, a former apprentice at Swillington Organics, said, "The apprenticeship scheme has given me the skills, knowledge and a network of support to make a successful career in organic farming at an exciting time for the industry."

Martin Soble, who hosts apprentices at Whitethorn Farm, added, "The apprentice scheme attracts the most enthusiastic young people, ready to invest their time and effort in return for an opportunity to learn. Our apprentice is now taking a leading role in the running of the farm."

Food policy expert Tim Lang last year called on the government to engage young people in developing a more sustainable food system; outlining the need for a coherent food policy, Professor Lang spoke of the need to "invest in colleges of agriculture, which have been turned into equestrian fantasy lands for the middle classes escaping the city. Actually, these are about a basic element of the economy, growing food for people. We have to invest in skills."   

Although agriculture and horticulture courses at land based colleges fill up each year and training opportunities are snapped up rapidly, aspects of rural life and the effect of government cuts mean it is not always possible for graduates to secure employment. With the average age of the UK's farmers currently standing at 55, and the majority of farm workers in their 40s and 50s, it is clear that more needs to be done to encourage young people to enter farming, bringing with them innovation and the will to bring about change.

The Soil Association said it hopes that, by offering experience of farm-based work, as well as a series of seminars to build on knowledge gained in the field, it can provide young people with the skills they need to excel.