Shropshire Farming Talk: Attracting fresh talent to the pig industry

We work alongside the NPA’s Allied Industry Group and Harper Adams University to recruit qualified and committed young entrants into the pig industry.

The programme is open to students with relevant academic interests and different backgrounds, ranging from agriculture to bio-veterinary science, business, engineering, and agri-food and marketing.

For students, the scholarship and one-year placement provide a clear route into the pig industry and showcases the variety of roles and career opportunities available throughout the supply chain; for businesses interested in graduate recruitment, it offers great value for money.

The Harper Adams University Development Trust runs the scholarship process on behalf of employers, making it easy for companies to sponsor and employ high-calibre, proactive students. It offers first access to a large pool of talent and an opportunity to appraise students during, what is effectively, a year-long interview.

The relationships formed between students and businesses early in their studies will hopefully lead to a continued interest and desire to remain in the industry.

Thirty-seven students have taken part in the programme to date, and last year eight companies across the supply chain offered scholarships.

We welcome interest from all areas of the pig industry, from farms to pharmaceuticals to feed manufacturers and everything in between. If you are keen to develop and recruit future talent, now is the time to get involved.

The deadline to become a sponsor during 2024-2025 is the end of August 2023 and placements will start in summer 2024.

Find out more at ahdb.org.uk/pig-industry-scholarship

Article by Charlotte Evans, AHDB Head of Engagement (Pork)