COUNTY chiefs have been urged to lend their support to calls for the introduction of a GCSE in agriculture to encourage more youngsters into the industry.
Coun Richard Udall, Worcester county councillor and Labour’s spokesperson for Rural Affairs wants the county council to support his campaign for the skills to be introduced in schools across England and Wales
“We have a duty to equip young people with the necessary skills to contribute to the social and economic life of our country,” he said.
“Introducing a GSCE in agriculture would help ensure a skilled farm workforce as the UK after Brexit. Farmers are already worried about the decline in their skilled workforce and we could and should do more to help them”.
“It would support the farming sector by providing a better and larger pool of young, educated and skilled workers; it would also give children in urban areas a chance to take up a subject and a career in an area of employment they have never previously considered as an option”.
“We should be supporting the campaign to meet the demand. It should be available to all and not a limited few,” he added.
His call appears to have the support of Countryfile presenter Adam Henson, who tweeted recently: “You can get a GCSE in religious studies and business, so why not in agriculture?”
