For a long time, the fresh produce industry has not been seen as the most exciting employer. The old-fashioned image of the farmer up to his knees in dirt, long hours and the less than cosmopolitan lifestyle does not seem to appeal to the younger generation of would-be farmers, suppliers, packers and retailers.
Bob Jones, operational manager for Improve, the food and drink skills council, puts this attitude down to the kind of career advice young people receive before they leave school. “Young people are often unaware of the career paths available in food manufacturing or the fresh produce industry,” he says. “Consesequently, the system limits the numbers of potential workers with relevant skills entering the sector. The fresh produce industry has a severe shortage in technicians, managers and skilled packers. We are finding that technology is really moving on, but workers are not necessarily getting the new skills that they need.”
Steven Henderson of Redfox, a fresh produce industry recruitment agency, agrees and says this is why the industry lacks people with the right skills, experience and attitude. “There are not enough people coming into the industry with the right aptitude at the beginning of their careers, except perhaps from overseas,” says Henderson. “We need to teach the next generation at school now that it is a rewarding industry.”
The government is encouraging employers to commit to the Skills Pledge, which is a specific promise made by an employer to its workforce that every eligible employee be helped to gain basic skills and a full Level 2 qualification (equal to five A*-C GSCEs). This means that employers should support their workforce by allowing time off for training, or even providing financial support where possible. The Skills Pledge is a result of the Leitch Review in 2006, which urges UK industry to compete with emerging economies such as India and China, and suggests that if significant progress is not made by 2010, then the pledge should be made compulsory in legislation.
Improve works closely with Holbeach Campus, part of the University of Lincoln - a regional training centre of the recently launched National Skills Academy for Food & Drink Manufacturing - to promote the amount of further and higher education courses that are available at the campus for fresh produce employees as one way of bridging the gap left by academic courses or on-the-job experience. Surrounded by a multitude of farming businesses and large fresh produce companies such as Premier Foods and Bakkavor, Holbeach Campus is in the centre of both an agricultural and horticultural hub. The campus runs part-time courses specifically for people in full-time work, with distance-learning options for students that do not have time to come to the campus on a regular basis. “We listen to what the employer wants, rather than the college dictating the course offering,” says Val Braybrooks, director of Holbeach Campus, which gained CoVE - centre of vocational excellence - status four years ago. “We hold strong employer partnerships and aim to bridge the gap of skills created by the lack of suitable provision for adults in employment.”
The University of Lincoln’s Holbeach Campus and Riseholme Campus form a specialist college for the land-based and food-manufacturing sector. This year, its courses will include a one-day introduction to fresh produce technology course, for those involved in the handling and quality control of fresh produce; a foundation degree in primary food production and environment, aimed at young people wishing to develop a career in the sector and established managers who require a greater understanding; and a one-day course on exotic fruit and vegetables, amongst others.
“We support people from entry level, through NVQ and apprenticeships and into higher education to include language development short courses for overseas nationals employed in horticulture or food manufacture,” says Braybrooks. “One problem is that people get pushed into supervisory or management roles because they are good at their specific job, but don’t necessarily have the managerial skills or technical understanding to succeed.”
This is an issue that seems to be affecting the industry at every level. Unskilled supervisors or managers can have a knock-on effect on non-skilled seasonal employees, such as pickers and packers. Hops Labour Solutions, one of the largest providers of temporary labour to horticulture and agriculture, recruits some 10,000 workers a year to work on approximately 270 holdings across the UK. Currently, 58 per cent of its placements are in the fruit sector, and 25 per cent in the vegetable sector. The company’s general manager, James Davies, says: “There is a shortage of good lower management personnel, field supervisors and gang leaders. Their roles are essential in the retention and motivation of a good seasonal workforce. Just because a worker has picked strawberries for a season, it does not mean that he will be a good supervisor.”
Training schemes such as Train to Gain, a service from the Leaning and Skills Council, can answer this problem. The government-funded free skills brokerage service offers independent and impartial advice, and matches training needs with training providers. Its aim is to guide more than 500,000 employees to NVQ Level 2 by 2010.
Peter Hunt, director of MorePeople, a recruitment and training practice serving the fresh produce, fresh food and horticulture sectors, has found that fresh produce companies are crying out for training programmes. Originally just a recruitment practice, MorePeople started to offer training solutions due to demand from its clients. “We saw a need in the industry to develop the people we have already got,” says Hunt, who has a fresh produce background himself. “Customers said to us: you’ve recruited these people for us, but where do we go to train them? So we now run a series of training schemes for existing clients.”
MorePeople runs a leadership and development programme tailored towards Tesco and its fresh produce suppliers, as well as running an open suppliers’ programme for other fresh produce companies. The 12-month course aims to give suppliers an understanding of their colleagues and help them interact more effectively with their customers - the retailers. “This has become a big part of the business,” says Hunt. “The training side of the business has the potential to go further as the industry’s needs increase.”
However, balance is what the skills councils and recruitment agencies are advising throughout the industry. “The industry has always put university-orientated qualifications before vocational skills and experience,” says Louise Beales, a consultant at Tailormade Resources Ltd, food recruitment specialists. “This is something the industry will have to look at and become more flexible in.”
Hunt echoes this and maintains that, in some areas of the fresh produce industry, there can be a bias. “Every year the fresh produce industry calls out for good young people, but sometimes it’s a matter of training who you have already got,” he says. “Balance is the key. Companies have got to bring in young graduates, as well as make use of the workforce they have already got.”
He believes that the industry is still looking for the same kind of people it always has. “The industry needs bright people, who are willing to cope with its demands,” he says. “As it is a fast-paced industry, it needs people who can think on their feet and communicate with the supermarkets.”
The industry’s far-from-glamorous image is part of the problem. Many recruitment companies have difficulties enticing people into the industry, as its advantages are not widely known. “Some are swayed by the glamour of brands, such as Heinz, and at first they don’t look into the fresh produce sector,” says Hunt. “But the rewards are there. They don’t realise that the commercial and procurement side of the business can be really exciting.
“It is a great job for a young person as there is usually the opportunity to travel and see the world.”
The fresh produce industry’s outlook needs to change; as well as welcoming in young graduates, opportunities need to be taken to up-skill the current workforce. Reka Janovski, principal consultant for fresh food recruitment at Ellis Fairbank, blames the lack of provisions available. “One of the things holding the industry back is the lack of professional training schemes around,” she says. “Hands-on experience is pivotal to the individual’s success in the business, but additional training can only be beneficial. What it is important to recognise is that there is a real talent shortage in the food industry in general, and therefore competition for talent is fierce.”
The industry needs to focus on what candidates and present employees want. According to Janovski, the key motivators are money, personal development and career progression.
So why is the fresh produce industry still reluctant to up-skill its workforce? According to Jones, a good deal of the smaller employers are scared of investing in their workforce for fear of workers then moving onto other companies. Jones maintains that this is a dangerous situation in the making, and that it will only give the UK’s fresh produce competitors the edge.
Recruitment agencies also come up against this reluctance. “This is a sector where customers often ask, ‘what if I train them up and then they leave?’,” says Hunt. “But what we say is, what if you don’t train them and they leave? Employees are looking for more out-of-job personnel now.”
But reluctance to up-skill can also come from the employee. Braybrooks, who deals with mostly mature students, finds that most people are apprehensive of going back to a learning environment. “At Holbeach, we try to make our students feel comfortable and relaxed,” she says. “Most of our students haven’t been in a classroom situation since they were at school, so it is important to create a new culture of learning.” Braybrooks encourages employers to develop their existing employees into managers and technologists of the future, rather than relying on traditional graduates. “There is a shortage of graduates within the food industry and many young people are not attracted to rural areas like south Holland,” she says. “In order for employers to grow their own workforce, educational institutions must provide employers with a framework that will support the development of their employees.”
The fresh produce sector does seem to be moving forward, and in some areas addressing the balance. But some smaller companies may not have the time to spare or the money to invest in their workforce.
“There are a lot of very capable HR managers out there who provide a very valuable service, and employment legislation can be a real minefield,” says Henderson. “We could certainly do with more, though, as they tend to be the norm in larger companies and considered a luxury in smaller ones. Having someone on the ground is well worth it - if you can afford it.”
Janovski thinks that the industry is slowly moving in the right direction. “Fresh produce businesses are using an increasing number of tools to ensure they employ the right people for their business, so the industry is obviously becoming more aware of the cost and time implications of hiring the wrong people,” she says. “With the help of consultancies they need to further utilise these tools to ensure that training and development isn’t just focused at the young graduates, but is an ongoing focus throughout the business.”
This all puts a lot of pressure on employers in an industry where both time and money can be short. If the UK’s fresh produce industry is to remain competitive, then schemes specifically aimed at the fresh produce sector will be the key.
MILLS GETS BACK TO BASICS
Debby Mills, technical manager at Exotic Farm Produce Limited (EFP), will start a foundation degree in food manufacturing, with a specific focus on process and business improvement, at the Holbeach Campus, University of Lincoln, this September. Lincolnshire-based EFP packs and distributes peas, beans and exotic vegetables grown in the UK and around the world. FPJ talks to Mills about what she hopes to get out of the course before she ventures into higher education
What kind of employment background do you have?
I have worked within the fresh produce industry for nearly 25 years. I have mainly worked on the technical side of the business, but I have a small amount of production management experience.
What kind of training courses have you attended?
I went into full-time work after completing my A levels. I have attended quite a few training programmes over the years. I have completed the hazard analysis and critical control point (HACCP) training and the advanced hygiene certificate. I have attended ‘train the trainer’ and lead auditor courses, amongst others.
What made you decide to do this degree?
I wanted a formal qualification to reinforce the experience I have gained. Also, I hope that the business improvement modules will help to broaden my purely technical knowledge base. I feel very excited, as well as a little nervous, about being a student again.
What will the course entail?
I am completing the course through distance learning, which will involve working with workbooks and electronic materials, as well as tutorials. The two-and-a-half-year course will include a yearly one-week tutorial block at the campus, which will cover the practical work involved. The degree will cover topics such as personnel management, business improvement, food processing, preservation and packaging, and new product management.
What do you hope to get out of the course?
I am hoping to learn about any new developments within the food industry, as well as revising areas of which I already have knowledge and experience. I am looking forward to interacting with people from different aspects of the food industry and coming out with a formal qualification.
Do you think that the fresh produce industry lacks efficient training?
The range of courses offered at Holbeach Campus is very good and we are lucky to have them on our doorstep - other parts of the country may not be so lucky. I think that, within some areas of the industry, training is still seen as a financial drain and not a benefit, but the courses are available if you look for them.
BACK TO SCHOOL AT SAINSBURY’S
Sainsbury’s has been working with Train to Gain to establish a new qualification scheme, which will enable its employees to gain a Level 2 qualification (equivalent to five A*-C GCSEs). The multiple has just completed a successful trial run of the scheme within its bakery departments, and has plans to roll out the scheme into the fresh produce department by the end of the year.
“The Leitch Review encouraged us to look into further up-skilling our workforce, and so we contacted the Sector Skills Council to establish a programme that was aimed at colleagues receiving recognition for vocational skills,” says Steven Davis, head of retail resourcing and training at Sainsbury’s. “To offer a qualification for the first time, with Train to Gain, will give Sainsbury’s colleagues the recognition they deserve. People just don’t realise how much training retail colleagues have to go through.”
And Davis maintains that this is especially true within the fresh produce department. One of the core modules of the fresh produce Level 2 will be product recognition and knowledge. Davis says it is important that employees can identify different kinds of produce so that they can advise customers and take care of the different ranges in the appropriate manner. With the popularity of 5 A DAY and healthy eating in general, Sainsbury’s has found that the right training within its fresh produce department is vital. “A key issue for fresh produce department employees is seasonality - customers are asking more questions about fruit and vegetables, and our employees need to understand what each season brings and when we stock it,” says Davis. “Ideally, we would like staff in the fresh produce department to be able to suggest recipe ideas to customers. To do this, Sainsbury’s is making sure that it has the best training in the industry.
“I think there are a number of benefits for a business that gets behind Train to Gain. Competent and confident employees benefit the customers, and therefore the company,” Davis adds.
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