School pupils urged to THINK DAIRY at Careers Expo

As part of the Digital Dairy Chain’s efforts to address the skills shortage within the UK dairy industry it has joined forces with Harrison & Hetherington, the UK’s largest livestock trading company, to host the inaugural ‘Think Dairy Careers Expo’.

The event will take place on 23 April 2024 at Harrison & Hetherington’s Carlisle Borderway Centre, with secondary school pupils from across Cumbria and Dumfries and Galloway invited to attend.

Glyn Lucas, Senior Dairy Auctioneer with Harrison & Hetherington said: “If we are to build a sustainable future for the UK dairy industry, I believe it is crucial to bridge the gap today with the next generation of young people who are going to be the stars of tomorrow. The Think Dairy Careers Expo is the first dedicated event of this kind to be held in the UK, and it is going to be a game changer for the industry in attracting new thinking and new energy.

“We talk a lot about diversity in agriculture, and the Think Dairy Expo is a platform for showing young people who have no background in agriculture or farming the opportunities the dairy industry has for them to build a career, not just in livestock management but in business and environmental management, and in the hugely expanding application of new technology, robotics and AI.

“We are reaching out to young people with different ideas and different visions of what excellence looks like, because these are the future leaders who will make the biggest difference to our industry in the years to come."

Think Dairy will showcase the wide variety of careers within the dairy sector, highlight the abundance of STEM-based roles, and allow students to meet the industry’s key businesses and employers who will be running interactive stands. Exhibitors include several national dairy processors based within the region, including First Milk, Cows & Co and Lactalis.

Exhibitors are being encouraged to run internships or work experience for students as a follow-on from the event itself. On the day students will also have the opportunity to take part in a mock cattle auction and hear from inspirational young dairy professionals on their route into the industry.

Stuart Martin, Programme Director for the Digital Dairy Chain, said: “By making this careers expo as interactive and engaging for the students as possible we hope to change perceptions of what working in dairy means. We hope that more young people with a passion for science, maths and technology realise that they can find stimulating and fulfilling careers outside of the cities too. There’s an abundance of undiscovered dairy opportunities here in Cumbria and South West Scotland.”

For more information about the Think Dairy Career Expo or to book your stand or enquire into school bookings please email [email protected]