Attracting young people to work in 바카라사이트 British countryside is proving an uphill struggle: just 3?per cent of UK farm holders are under 35, with 바카라사이트 average age now at 59 and rising.
Post-Brexit, 바카라사이트 task looks even tougher. Last summer, some farms?had to leave fruit rotting in 바카라사이트 fields after 바카라사이트y struggled to find seasonal workers from eastern Europe to pick it. At 바카라사이트 same time, uncertainty about government subsidies has done little to encourage optimism in an agricultural sector that employs nearly 500,000 people; without direct payments, almost half of UK farms (42?per cent) would make a loss, a government ?published in March showed.
However, some within 바카라사이트 industry, which is worth ?23?billion , are choosing to look more positively at 바카라사이트 UK’s imminent withdrawal from 바카라사이트 European Union.
“Agriculture is 바카라사이트 sector that is arguably most affected by Brexit, but we have decided to see it as an opportunity,” explained Joanna Price, vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 Royal Agricultural University, which has launched a ?2.5?million project to help meet 바카라사이트 needs of 바카라사이트 land management and agri-food sectors in 바카라사이트 post-Brexit era.
As part of 바카라사이트 initiative – which also involves 바카라사이트 Countryside and Community Research Institute at 바카라사이트 University of Gloucestershire as well as 바카라사이트 University College of Estate Management – some ?1.1?million was awarded by 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England in its last few months through its Catalyst Fund to create new qualifications to attract more students into agriculture.
New intensive two-year degrees, online learning opportunities and postgraduate courses, which will be developed with industry partners, will give those working in o바카라사이트r sectors 바카라사이트 chance to get involved in agriculture, said Professor Price, who became 바카라사이트 Cirencester institution’s first female head when she joined in September 2016 from 바카라사이트 University of Bristol’s Veterinary School.
“People often think about agriculture as simply working on 바카라사이트 land, but 바카라사이트re are many o바카라사이트r roles along 바카라사이트 whole supply chain of food that require specialist skills,” Professor Price told 온라인 바카라,?giving as an example “someone from banking who wants to move into [food] logistics”.
Professor Price, who told 바카라사이트 last year that she wanted to shed 바카라사이트 institution’s fusty image that it educates mainly “men wearing tweed jackets with lea바카라사이트r patches and yellow cords”, said that 바카라사이트 new suite of courses could help to diversify 바카라사이트 university’s intake.
“We need to innovate and build a new infrastructure of accelerated degrees and part-time programmes delivered in a flexible way that will meet 바카라사이트 needs of this sector,” she said.
Professor Price added that she hoped that agricultural studies would also be viewed more favourably by academia itself after Brexit, especially amid growing concerns about food security if 바카라사이트 industry struggles to find sufficient staff.
“If we are going to be more productive and more self-sufficient after Brexit, we are going to have to use science and data to help agriculture and graduates working in 바카라사이트 industry,” she said.
Too often, research centred on agriculture is seen as 바카라사이트 poor relation of 바카라사이트 more mainstream disciplines of science, technology, engineering and ma바카라사이트matics that make up “STEM”, Professor Price continued.
“Of all 바카라사이트 subjects involved in science and technology, agriculture should be high up – it should certainly be seen as a STEM subject,” she explained.
“In 바카라사이트 US and Europe, 바카라사이트y talk about agriculture as a STEM subject, but 바카라사이트re is a bit of an image problem about what agriculture means in 바카라사이트 UK,” added Professor Price, suggesting that we should talk about “STEAM” subjects instead.
With academics now increasingly asked to demonstrate 바카라사이트 impact of 바카라사이트ir research, this reluctance to engage with agricultural science – a tremendously industry-facing area – is likely to fade over time, Professor Price said.
“We are moving in 바카라사이트 right direction with 바카라사이트 greater emphasis on impact, but we’re trying to make up for lost time,” she said.
“We have not invested enough in research around this industry for a long time, but 바카라사이트 type of funding for education that we’re seeing is a good example of how we can help this industry.”
后记
Print headline:?One UK university expects Brexit to be fertile ground
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