A new survey from the British market shows that the shortage of skilled labour extends far beyond the farm gate. At Arla UK, recruiting engineers for the supply chain now takes almost twice as long as recruiting other staff. The group is therefore launching a series of education initiatives across the UK.
There is a serious shortage of the right skills in the food sector, and it is currently being felt acutely at Arla Foods in the UK. A new survey conducted by Arla UK among British farmers shows that 82% find that applicants for vacant positions lack the necessary qualifications.
But the challenge is not confined to the UK’s primary agricultural sector. Across Arla’s own British supply chain and at its dairies, the shortage of technical specialist skills has become one of the biggest bottlenecks. The group’s own UK figures show that it takes an average of 105 days to recruit an engineer, compared with 58 days for other roles.
Demographic pressure on the supply chain
The challenge is compounded by a rising average age across the British sector, where the average age of supply chain workers has risen from 40 in 2018 to 46 today. At the same time, modern dairy production is becoming increasingly high-tech and automated.
“If we want a resilient food system capable of feeding future generations, we must invest in the skills, education and pathways that will build the workforce of tomorrow,” says Bas Padberg, Managing Director of Arla Foods UK.
Building classrooms directly on British dairies
To help close the skills gap, Arla UK is launching a comprehensive education drive aimed at schools and educational institutions across the UK.
The initiative also translates into concrete investment in its own training programmes at production sites. At the Taw Valley dairy in the UK, where Arla is currently investing heavily in new high-tech mozzarella production, the dairy group has set a target of bringing in 50 new apprentices over the next two years. The project includes the establishment of a physical on-site classroom with a dedicated tutor at the dairy itself.
By Maja Løvstrup
Photo: Lasse Skov
