£400 Available for Wales’ Land Girls

Women and Work 2011-12: Supporting Women’s Skills Across the UK

SETTING HIGH FENCING STANDARDS: YOUR EXPERTISE IS NEEDED

Fencing must train for survival

With a declining workforce and continuing economic threat to many small businesses, fencing businesses must invest in skills to ensure their survival according to a new report published by Lantra Sector Skills Council today (6 December).The report, which sought the views of 450 fencing businesses, identifies the current skill needs and challenges faced within today’s UK fencing industry, revealing that only 40% of fencing businesses have had training in the last year. Lantra’s Fencing Industry Manager, Kevin Thomas, said: “To survive in the current climate, businesses must stay on top of

NEW FACE FOR FENCING

John Smith, Operations Director for fencing giant Saferoad BLG Ltd, has joined Lantra Sector Skills Council’s Fencing Group with a mission to raise fencing’s profile as a highly skilled and secure career.Based at the Saferoad BLG UK head office in Scunthorpe, John wants to spread the message among fencing employers, their clients and the ‘new blood’ that he believes the industry desperately needs. “Fencing is very much a skilled job” explains John. “A good fencer can put up a mile a day. We need more fencing apprentices. We need it to be much easier for employers to take on and train young

CYSTADLEUAETH I CHWILIO AM DDYSGWYR DIWYDIANNAU’R TIR GORAU’R WLAD

Mae’r myfyrwyr gorau o blith y rhai sy’n gweithio ar ffermydd, gyda thyfwyr blodau neu filfeddygon neu mewn stablau, parciau neu goetiroedd ar fin cystadlu yng Ngwobrau Dysgwyr Tir Cymraeg y Flwyddyn a drefnir gan Lantra.Mae Lantra, y Cyngor Sgiliau Sector ar gyfer yr amgylchedd a diwydiannau’r tir wedi galw am enwebiadau ar gyfer ei wobrau blynyddol er mwyn cydnabod y rheiny sy’n datblygu eu sgiliau. Yn ôl Kevin Thomas, Cyfarwyddwr Cenedlaethol Cymru Lantra: “Mae’r gwobrau hyn yn rhoi clod i’r ffermydd, y tyfwyr blodau, y milfeddygon, y stablau, y parciau a’r coetiroedd gorau yng Nghymru.

COMPETITION SEEKS TOP LEARNERS FROM THE FENCING WORLD

The best students drawn from the fencing world are set to compete in Lantra’s Welsh Land-based Learner of the Year Award.Lantra, the Sector Skills Council for the environmental and land-based industries, has called for nominations for its annual awards to recognise those developing their skills. Kevin Thomas, Lantra’s National Director for Wales, said: “These awards honour the best fencers Wales has to offer. Land-based industries are the backbone of the Welsh economy and this is your chance to recognise the people that work hard everyday to keep it together.” You can nominate a young land-

OPENING DOORS TO NEW OPPORTUNITIES

Current economic conditions are tough on businesses everywhere, so to help those working within Wales’ environmental and land-based industries, Lantra Sector Skills Council is throwing open the doors of its Builth Wells office during the Royal Welsh Show (July 19-22).Industry experts, training providers and staff from the Farming Connect Skills Development Programme are working together so that the show’s visitors can easily find out about the training and support that is available to the sector, or ask about the many rewarding environmental and land-based careers, some of which will be

New Chair and Trustees Sought for Lantra Sector Skills Council

7 June PR 1369 New Chair and Trustees Sought for Lantra Sector Skills Council Lantra, the Sector Skills Council for environmental and land-based industries, is seeking a new Chair to replace its outgoing Chair, Dr Gordon McGlone. Four positions on Lantra’s 13 member Board are also being sought. Lantra is particularly targeting its 17 environmental and land-based industries in its search to replace Dr McGlone, who completes eight successful years in post at the end of 2010. Lantra works with its 230,000 businesses to champion the sector as professional, hi-tech and essential to the UK

New opportunities beckon says Lantra’s outgoing Chair

“These are exciting times for the environmental and land-based industries. I sense a real feeling of energy and determination to succeed amongst the increasingly hi-tech and professional micro businesses Lantra represents through skills provision, and here at Lantra we’re making sure we are reflecting that.”The words of Lantra’s Chair Dr Gordon McGlone as he prepares to hand over the reigns of the Sector Skills Council after eight successful years at the helm. His reflective mood continues, “During my time as Chair, I’ve seen our sector develop enormously. Today we see more and more 21st

Gateway to skills

Andy Kehoe, a farmer from Bangor, was the talk of the Smallholder and Festival, Builth Wells, this weekend (15-16 May) as he showed off his traditional gate-making skills to thousands of visitors. Andy Kehoe is part of a farming family dynasty dating back to the 1850s and was at the show, on behalf of Lantra Sector Skills Council, with his wife Hilary and son Ffred, in an effort to help ensure some of Wales’ traditional skills are not forgotten. Andy said, “Seeing my family and I working together, splitting oak and turning a tree trunk into a traditional hewn gate, struck a chord with many

Don't sit on the fence ... it's time to train

More than a third of Northern Ireland’s fencing businesses report that employees don’t have the appropriate technical skills needed to do their job, according to new research, published today (30 April) by Lantra, the Sector Skills Council for environmental and land-based industries.One fifth of the businesses surveyed reported that not all their staff are fully proficient in their current job roles, with 35% of businesses reporting staff to lack technical/job specific proficiency. David Seffen, Lantra’s Partnership Manager said: “Whilst there is a willingness to train staff, this is often