Digital Dairy Chain’s executive talent forum
Credit: Digital Dairy Chain
The future workforce needs of the UK dairy industry are being addressed through the launch of Talent Forum, a strategic, executive-level group formed to lead the national conversation on the future of workforce skills for the £5.7 billion sector.
With 86% of farmers with vacancies reporting very few or no applicants possessing the right skills, the combination of a skills gap and the attraction and retention of talent forms the basis of the Talent Forum’s work to inform a response to these challenges.
The Think Dairy Careers initiative, led by Digital Dairy Chain partner, University of the West of Scotland (UWS), has brought together senior leaders from across the dairy supply chain, government, and supporting technology sectors, the Talent Forum will play a critical role in addressing the industry’s most urgent workforce challenges. This includes identifying digital skills gaps, tackling succession planning, and forecasting future skills needs – from farm to processing, and throughout the wider supply chain.
The board is made up of the following members:
- Stephen Jacobs, CEO of TIAH
- Paul Flannagan, director at AHDB
- Liz Barron-Majerik (chair), director of Lantra
- Colin Ferguson, Farmers/NFU
- Peter Dawson, operations & sustainability policy director of Dairy UK
- Helen Brooks, engagement director of UK Agri Tech Centre
- Derek Wilson, head of agriculture and rural at Scottish Government
- John Powell, head of agriculture sectors at DEFRA
- Robert Craig, chairman of trustees at RABDF
- Sam Rhynas (vice chair), managing director of Seventeen Points
- John Whitelaw, vice chair of Dairy Transport Assurance Scheme (DTAS)
- Marian Pusey, executive director at Society of Dairy Technicians
- Mazdak Salavati, reader in dairy, SRUC
The Talent Forum will guide the development of a Future Skills Needs Assessment, drawing on data, insight, and engagement with stakeholders across the sector. This assessment will help shape future investment in vocational education, apprenticeships, and continuous professional development, ensuring the dairy sector is equipped with the skills it needs to thrive in a rapidly evolving, technology-driven landscape.
Find out more about the Talent Forum and the work of Think Dairy Careers at www.digitaldairychain.co.uk/talentforum