New free training to improve workforce diversity

Employers in agriculture and horticulture are being offered free training on issues relating to diversity and inclusion in the workplace.
The Institute for Agriculture and Horticulture (Tiah), Farmers Weekly’s learning partner for the Level the Field campaign, has launched a new e-learning programme called “Essential Skills: Why Inclusion Matters”.
It is designed to help businesses in the sector recognise unconscious biases, and provide guidance on how they can create a welcoming workplace.
See also: Find out more about our Level the Field campaign
Tiah’s chief executive Stephen Jacob said the programme promises to deliver “real benefits’’ for employers and their workers.
“If we increase staff retention by making a happier and more productive workplace, we’re going to reduce staff turnover,” Mr Jacob told Farmers Weekly. “That’s got all the benefits of reducing cost and having that greater longevity to the business.”
He believes inclusion can improve innovation within individual businesses too.
“Bringing in people from different backgrounds means we don’t always do things the way that we used to do them, we actually get different perspectives, different ideas and we can challenge the way we do things.”
Responsibility
Mr Jacob suggests everyone has a responsibility to call out poor inclusivity practices.
“We’ve got to stand united and say, actually, we are in a changing environment, we are having to think about how we go forward as an industry.”
While reaching employers who are sceptical of inclusivity might be challenging, he hopes that creating free access to the module can overcome these barriers.
New perspectives
Mr Jacob said farm businesses that recruited workers of different genders, ages and backgrounds report that they wished they had taken this approach earlier.
It helpedintroduced new perspectives: “It’s all about recognising each other’s strengths and capabilities. We all bring different strengths and capabilities, regardless of our gender or our age or our background.”
The free inclusivity course can be accessed online, and each module takes about 40 minutes to complete.
Level the Field
The Farmers Weekly Level the Field campaign is also looking to address inequalities across farm businesses.
- Find out more about improving working practices
- Find out more about female recruitment