While traditionally a career in the dairy industry was viewed as a manual vocation or a job you had to inherit, the Digital Dairy Chain is encouraging young people and professionals to consider the opportunities the sector has to offer through its Think Dairy campaign.
In an effort to address the skills shortage faced by the dairy industry the Digital Dairy Chain, a Government funded project, is engaging with school children across Cumbria and South and West Scotland to highlight the range of STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) jobs available in dairy and develop a long-term pipeline of talent for the sector.
To mark National Careers Week, several dairy ambassadors have shared their experiences in the industry.
As technology adoption in agriculture increases and robotic milking gains popularity on UK dairy farms, skills in science and engineering are more sought after than ever.
Ali Cook, a dairy farm manager explains: “I don’t come from a farming family and didn’t consider a full-time dairy career until after graduating from university when a summer job turned into a longer-term opportunity to combine my interest in cows with business development.
“This has led me to working on large scale farms in the United States, Saudi Arabia and most recently undertaking three months of international travel to research the use of robotics in dairy. The sector needs more young people who are data-driven and have a passion for new technology to keep pushing things forward.”
Dr Holly Ferguson, a dairy research fellow from SRUC, said: “There is so much more to a job in the dairy industry than just cows or milk.
“When I was thinking about careers in school, I couldn’t have imagined a job like mine existed. My days are such a mix, utilising sensors and data collected from them to improve cow health, welfare and production or getting out in the field with cows, collecting samples or assessing how happy they are!
“There is such a huge range of opportunities and innovations in the dairy industry, it’s a really exciting sector to be a part of at the moment.”
The Think Dairy Careers Expo will showcase the wide variety of careers within the dairy sector, highlight the abundance of STEM-based roles, and allow secondary school pupils from across the regions to meet the industry’s key businesses and employers who will be running interactive stands.
For more information about the Think Dairy Careers Expo and how your business or school can get involved please contact info@digitaldairychain.co.uk
