Dairy Pro – the dairy industry’s professional register of training and development – has re-launched to widespread industry support following a revamp of its operations and the development of a brand new website.
Dairy Pro, which is run by BASIS, holds a database of training events it has accredited within the dairy sector, allocating points each time an individual participates in an activity and adding these to their training record. Alongside improvements to the way the database works and the benefits it offers, a major change is that ‘Dairy Pro Endorsed’ status will now be awarded to those accruing minimum points each year.
A number of dairy industry leaders and organisations have joined to express their support of the changes to Dairy Pro and the benefits to the industry of continuing to ‘upskill’ in the face of growing global opportunities – including Red Tractor.
Mike Madders, dairy chairman of Red Tractor Assurance, says one of its key aims is to ensure all staff working on Red Tractor farms are trained and competent to do the jobs that they do.
“As part of this we are introducing a recommendation that at least one staff member per site is a member of a scheme that records skills, development and training. Dairy Pro is such a scheme that dairy farmers and their staff could engage with to confirm their commitment to continual improvement.”
Alongside this, Peter Kendall, AHDB Chairman, has commented that a highly-skilled workforce is vital to competitive and profitable British dairy businesses. “The whole dairy industry should to get behind Dairy Pro – to demonstrate the importance farmers, managers and staff place on training and development, and also to show our customers that the dairy sector is a highly professional industry. Dairy Pro is an integral part of the AgriSkills strategy that AHDB launched in 2013, and follows its principles for continuous professional development.”
Since its launch in 2012, Dairy Pro has gained more than 600 members within the dairy industry and already has over 70 training partners offering courses and activities. The latest developments, which include improved database links, better processes to handle enquiries and a more functional website, have been broadly welcomed by retailers, processors, supply companies, consultants and farmer organisations.
David Cotton, chairman of Dairy Pro, says he is confident this renewed support will help drive uptake.
“We have taken a long hard look at Dairy Pro to work out what it needs to better drive the professional development of the sector. Now, with industry support, a fit-for-purpose website, better database functionality and improved communication, we believe Dairy Pro has much to offer everyone across the industry, from farmers and managers to staff, training providers and commercial businesses in the dairy sector.”
The new Dairy Pro website can be found at www.dairypro.co.uk ; it contains a complete calendar of upcoming events, details on how to get involved, and comments from supportive organisations across the industry.