Ten Ways …


to encourage young people


into our industry By Robert Ashton


Let’s face it; the animal feed industry is not likely to be the first career choice of a young person leaving school, college or university. Meat consumption is declining amongst millennials who voice increasing concerns about climate change and factory farming. Their perception is that this is not a growth industry with a sparkling future. Add the appeal of the fast changing digital economy and you can quickly see why starting a career anywhere in the animal feed supply chain lacks appeal. But to thrive and evolve, our industry needs new blood. Bright young people with skills and ambition will help the animal feed industry keep pace with the growing need for affordable, ethically produced protein for our world’s booming population. Of course the reality is that the animal feed industry has become


highly sophisticated. Traceability, technology and legislation have driven innovation and few today have time or opportunity to lean on a shovel in the feed mill. Even those close to the feed business, for example farmers’


sons and daughters, will have picked up prejudices and perceptions that may be decades out of date. It’s the responsibility of all of us who care about the future of the industry to become outspoken advocates for all that is good about it. We have to be proactive if we’re to attract the talent we need. And


of course those who make an effort will become an employer of choice, and find themselves recruiting the best people.


Here are the ways we might go about it:


1. Start young – Children today do not have the contact with farming previous generations enjoyed. It needs people like you to get involved with local schools. Introducing even primary school children to livestock farming and food production can sow the seeds of lifetime interests.


2. Teach teachers – It’s not just children who can benefit from a better understanding of where the food on their plate comes from. There will be a wealth of opportunities to help teachers deliver their curriculum. The feed industry can bring maths, technology and science to life, but only if you take the lead.


3. Provide pets – Many of us remember the early responsibility of caring for pets. Keeping guinea pigs, rabbits can help us learn the very basics of animal husbandry and nutrition. Why not provide some hens to your local school, together with regular deliveries of feed. It’s all about building relationships.


4. Community farming – There’s a growing community farming movement across the UK. These range from care farms, set up to help vulnerable people to collective food production across both


PAGE 16 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019 FEED COMPOUNDER


urban and rural communities. Most could benefit from the expertise within your company. In return you build brand awareness, and also put you onto those with an interest in food production.


5. Open days – Yes, your feed mill team are very safety conscious and you don’t want people tramping round the place, but opening up your plant to visitors is to be encouraged. After a lifetime in the industry, you might take for granted what is actually quite impressive. Remember that those who visit will talk about what they’ve seen.


6. Graduate internships – A fairly rewarded, interesting and challenging internship, perhaps over the summer vacation can deliver impact. Organisations such as Step (step.org.uk) can make the exercise far easier than if you try to set it up yourself. A summer internship gives both you and the undergraduate the chance to get to know each other. Many interns go on to join the firm they first encounter in this way.


7. Be vocal – Young people today are motivated by values as much as money. There’s plenty of evidence to say that an employer with strong ethical values and social impact will be chosen over one that focuses on profit alone. As you know, there are good and bad in any industry, but in reality, it’s all about what you say, to whom and where. Make sure your communication strategy includes getting noticed by more than just your target customers.


8. Sponsor an award – Inevitably, there will be one or two universities or colleges with which you have greater affinity. There will also be an aspect of innovation in which you have a particular interest. So why not organise an annual student competition that gets young minds working on your greatest challenges? These can both build your profile and might just deliver an unexpected breakthrough.


9. Look overseas – The Brexit debate has forced many companies to focus on the UK market. But the reality is that when the dust settles on whatever is finally decided, life will continue much as before. Even the doomsayers must accept that our economy is the fifth largest in the world. Why not take a long term view and build rapport with overseas universities? If nothing else it will show that you are a progressive employer!


10. Don’t forget older people – You might be competing for graduates, so don’t overlook older people. Remember that a graduate might stay with you for five years, and a 50 year old might stay with you for ten. The technical whiz seeking a return to work after raising a family may well have kept up to date with all that’s changed. People seek a return to the workplace for all kinds of good reasons. Be open minded and see what you can find.


As with all of these columns, I’m trying to encourage you to think


just that little bit outside the ordinary. I’ve learned over the years that in almost every aspect of life and work, those who do things differently almost invariably do better. We are conditioned by experience and those around us to assume that things have to always be done in certain ways, but this is rarely the case. Every industry has its thought leaders, its champions and its


mavericks. In recruitment, as in any other aspect of commercial life, getting noticed is to get ahead!


Comment section is sponsored by Compound Feed Engineering Ltd www.cfegroup.com


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60