Think Dairy Careers Pilot Launches in Lanarkshire

Dairy farmers from across South and North Lanarkshire are opening their gates to offer high school pupils and those considering a career change, the opportunity to gain work experience alongside the chance to study toward a nationally recognised qualification.

The initiative forms part of the Digital Dairy Chain project which spans South & West Scotland and Cumbria. The project aims to help the dairy sector and supply chain identify the training needs and skills gaps, whilst helping dairy businesses to attract more young people to consider a career in the dairy sector.

Products such as baby formula, yoghurt, cheese and, of course, fresh milk wouldn’t be possible without our dairy farmers, yet the industry is facing a skills gap that poses a real threat to our food supply chain and these products making it to the supermarket shelves.

The Think Dairy Careers pilot is being launched in Lanarkshire to educate, guide and steer the younger generation, those outside the labour market or those looking for a career change to consider the opportunities in dairy.  Roles vary from milking cows, being responsible for animal welfare, or analysing herd data to help improve milk yield.  The pilot aims to help match people with employers and the appropriate training, where needed.

The Digital Dairy Chain is working with key partners such as Developing the Young Workforce (DYW), the Royal Highland Education Trust (RHET), the Department of Work and Pensions and others to deliver this project. Anyone interested in joining the pilot or finding out more about how they can get involved can contact Lynne Somerville via info@digitaldairychain.co.uk