rural training

£20 million to provide rural businesses with work-based training

Continuing on an upbeat basis this article explains:”Farming Minister, Jim Paice said:

“We’re investing up to £20 million in vocational training to help rural and farming enterprises increase their profits and get more competitive.  This is the latest in a £165 million package of support to help unlock the economic potential of our rural areas.”

 

Defra has worked with industry stakeholders to ensure that all training delivered through the Skills and Knowledge Framework will improve businesses’ competitiveness and technical development.

The training packages will be delivered through specialist training providers through The Skills and Knowledge Framework. Following a competitive tendering process, successful training providers will be selected this summer to join the RDPE Skills and Knowledge Framework. From autumn, eligible businesses will be able to access a whole range of training and development opportunities that will improve both their own skills and those of their employees.”

My knowledge of the training challenges facing rural and farming economies is the need for bespoke solutions that relate to particular and very different characteristics, upland, coastal, cereal, urban fringe of different rural places and communities. Lets hope the providers on this framework have the know how to relate to genuine local rural circumstances and the operational flexibility to fit funding to people and not vice versa.

EweTube webcam to broadcast rams mating

This is a classic article about the bizarre activities one might find in rural England which I will let speak for itself

Paolo, an 18-month-old Portland ram, has been fitted with a webcam to show the public “nature as it happens”.

Paolo is expected to tup about 30 ewes over a six-week period. Their lambs will be born in the spring.

The ”ram-cam’’ is part of the community farming initiative MyFarm, which is run at the National Trust’s Wimpole Home Farm in Cambridgeshire.

Richard Morris, the farm manager, said: “It may seem a bit strange that we want to follow and even film Paolo as he goes about his business, but farming is all about breeding, growing and harvest.’’