VIDEO: Bright Crop showcases variety of farming careers
A website that aims to change young people’s perceptions of working in the farming and food supply industry has been unveiled by the initiative Bright Crop.
The site is believed to be the first dedicated to allowing young people to explore the vast range of career opportunities in the agriculture industry.
It aims to inspire positive perceptions of agriculture and the associated sectors, providing a number of case studies covering the diverse range of jobs available.
For example, it highlights the variety of academic backgrounds such as science, technology, engineering and maths, which can lead to careers in agriculture.
It also explores opportunities in other areas, such as communications and business management, as well as more hands-on farming roles.
Bright Crop is a cross-industry initiative developed by the charity Business in the Community, managed by FACE, and supported by a collaboration of organisations including the NFU, AHDB and AIC.
David Yiend, chairman of Bright Crop, said the farming industry was often misunderstood and it was important to change perceptions.
Research among more than 1,500 young people had found that 96% would not consider a career in agriculture because they believed that jobs were low paid, boring, dirty, repetitive and old-fashioned.
“Bright Crop’s mission is to inspire young people to make a career choice that is both stimulating and rewarding by talking their language and helping them see the range of exciting careers on offer,” he said.
Alongside the website, Bright Crop also aims to build a network of 1,000 volunteer ambassadors from all areas of the farming and food supply industry who will visit local schools to talk about possible careers.