The institute has been set up with the ambition to position agriculture and horticulture as a dynamic industry, attracting and retaining talent from a wide range of backgrounds, investing in people in order to improve productivity, staff engagement and retention.
It is supported by a consultation group which includes the NFU, AHDB, farmers, employers, industry leaders and further and higher education specialists. It will act as an umbrella, co-ordinating existing skills and training provision across England, bringing everything in to one, accessible place.
A ‘bespoke service’
TIAH will provide a valuable online space where users have access to individual profiles, logging both formal and informal training and qualifications.
NFU Deputy President Tom Bradshaw is a member of the TIAH board. He explained the strategy: “What we have set out to do is deliver a truly bespoke service tailored to sector, training, and skill levels.
“Our ambition is to not only help those of us who work in the sector – we want to support the industry as a whole while promoting agriculture as a progressive, professional, and exciting career choice so do join us in achieving this goal.”
The institute makes it easy for both employers and employees to look for suitable training options in order to develop skills, careers and businesses. It provides access to information on the roles available in farming, progression options and skills required, to those new to the farming industries, or exploring its potential.
“What we have set out to do is deliver a truly bespoke service tailored to sector, training, and skill levels.”
NFU Deputy President Tom Bradshaw
Highlights of the services TIAH provides include:
- A learning hub where users have access to a variety of resources with topics ranging from biosecurity to regenerative agriculture to help develop seven feature skills.
- A capability framework and learning record to help users to document and evidence their skills and also identify gaps in skills to facilitate continued professional development.
- New entrants into the industry are able to research the career path they wish to take through job profiles, which includes details of the responsibilities, personal qualities, skills and requirements, salary and future career opportunities.
It also provides access to HR and personnel development support to small and medium sized businesses across the industry, as well as collate reliable data on the labour market, workforce requirements and skills shortages.
Staffordshire farmer Andrew Court founded the regenerative agriculture-focused Court Farming Partnership with his family in 2020. He is excited about what TIAH membership offers farmers and growers: “It has been refreshing to be involved in helping TIAH develop the online service. The focus has been on ensuring that the content is approachable and inclusive for everyone working across the breadth of farming disciplines.
“The brilliance of TIAH’s service is that is helps people roadmap out where they want to go and makes it easy for them to identify the routes to get there."
Staffordshire farmer Andrew Court
“As the agriculture and horticulture industry is evolving, access to platforms that aid professional development is becoming ever more important. The brilliance of TIAH’s service is that is helps people roadmap out where they want to go and makes it easy for them to identify the routes to get there.”
TIAH’s Chief Executive Stephen Jacob said: “The launch of TIAH membership is a major milestone and we’re looking forward to opening our virtual doors to the farming and growing community to help them supercharge their approach to learning and development. We’ll be at LAMMA 2024 to tell people more about what we offer and warmly invite visitors to drop by our stand to find out more.”
Join TIAH
Annual TIAH membership will cost a one-off fee of £144, or £12.50 per month if paid monthly. For a limited time, farmers and growers can take advantage of a 50% discount on these fees. For further information and to sign up, visit: tiah.org/membership.
TIAH will act as a co-ordinating force, ensuring that up to date knowledge of policy and regulations, as well as new and innovative farming and growing practises are carried out across the industry.
NFU support
The NFU has been involved with the development of TIAH since the beginning with NFU Deputy President Tom Bradshaw in his capacity as the NFU’s officeholder for skills on the TIAH board alongside NFU member Owen Piper.
About TIAH
TIAH is the professional body that enables everyone working in farming and growing to thrive by providing a personalised gateway to skills, training and career development.
Its aim is to embed a culture of lifelong learning and continued professional development, foster a greater uptake of training and promote agriculture as a progressive, professional, and exciting career choice.
Find out more at: tiah.org/home.
