McDonald’s launches scheme to encourage youth into farming

Burger restaurant chain McDonald’s UK has launched a pilot scheme to encourage young people to consider farming as a career.
The scheme, run in partnership with Kingston Maurward College, is aimed at young people from urban backgrounds, who may not traditionally consider a career in food and farming.
The plan is to encourage young people to come from diverse backgrounds and to kick-start more than 100 careers in the industry.
Set over three days, the pilot Reframing Nature programme saw 11 school-age students gain experience at McDonald’s flagship organic dairy farm, near Sherborne, Dorset.
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During the visit, students were given practical activities to help them learn more about animal welfare and wildlife conservation on farms.
Students also heard from the McDonald’s supply chain team and one of the brand’s long-term dairy suppliers to understand more about working in the food and farming industry.
The visit ended with careers and employability advice from industry experts.

© Paul Underhill
One of the speakers McDonald’s franchisee Chris Truscott explained the importance of the initiative.
“The food and farming sectors are a huge part of community life in my home county Dorset,” said Mr Truscott.
“So, it was important to me to show young people from other parts of the country what careers in this sector, and across the supply chain, can look like.
Student engagement
“The more young people we can engage in these careers, whatever their background, the stronger our industry will be in future – from farm to front counter,” he added.
Kingston Maurward College careers adviser Frances Jenkins said encouraging young, diverse talent to consider land-based careers was important for the future of the industry.
“We hope initiatives like this inspire more people to consider a role within land-based industries in the future,” Ms Jenkins said.
Millie Avery, a student on the course from a school in the Midlands, said she had learned a lot and enjoyed visiting McDonald’s dairy farm.
“Coming from a town in the Midlands, being out on-farm and getting a behind-the-scenes look at a supply chain has been amazing.
“It’s opened my eyes to other careers I wouldn’t necessarily have thought of, too,” said Ms Avery.