A decade ago, the agronomy industry was facing a staffing crisis. The average age of an agronomist was creeping ever higher; many were approaching retirement, and few young people were entering the industry. This has been turned around thanks to the efforts of companies like Agrii, who have invested in attracting and training talented young men and women into the profession.
Agrii’s training programme is called iq and is credited with training 60 new agronomists between 2016 and 2023. The programme is broken down into sections to teach trainees the technical knowledge they will need alongside core business and interpersonal skills to help them throughout their careers.
The agronomy programme is divided into 15 to 20 modules, depending on the individual’s requirements. This supports a trainee gaining their professional qualification, with the BASIS certificate in crop protection and FACTS being essential, and many go on to study for a BASIS diploma, starting with Soil and Water. To date, 27 Agrii staff members have gained their BASIS diploma, with another six completing the Harper Adams equivalent diploma.
Everyone on the iq programme can meet key people in Agrii to learn the different areas of the business. The team at Agrii are continually reviewing and evolving the programme to ensure that it is fit for the future challenges agronomists will face. One of the changes they are considering is a formal mentor scheme to help support participants’ training and nascent careers at Agrii.
“We have run the iq programme for several years; it aims to be a tailored and user-friendly training programme,” says Mark Taylor, Agrii’s head of agronomy. “iq stands for ‘I qualify’, trainee agronomists and crop input specialists are a key focus, but the programme is open to any Agrii employee who wants to improve themselves in a specific area.
“We do not have a fixed number of people who do iq. Instead, we prefer to tailor the training to each intake of new staff. We work out a bespoke package of training for each individual. For some, this could mean more practical training; others will need it to be more academic.”
The iq programme differs from other businesses by not being fixed, either with the number of new entrants or the make-up of the programme, explains Mark. The same rule applies when a new entrant develops their career in Agrii. The size and scope of being the leading farm advice, technology and supply business in the UK means that employees can choose their career path depending on their interests, abilities, and opportunities.
Agrii development agronomist Miles Doncaster completed the iq programme last year. Although his father is an agronomist, Miles wasn’t sure he wanted to do agronomy. However, he took advantage of an opportunity to work for Agrii on a short-term basis in the summer while at university. This made him realise that a career in agronomy was something he wanted to pursue once he graduated.
“I have always been interested in the business and how it operates,” says Miles. “I studied business studies and management at the University of Leeds, but much of what I learned is still relevant as a development agronomist. There is the relationship aspect of the role, and working for a company like Agrii gives you an insight into how a big business operates.
“I enjoy being someone a grower can rely on for information. If you are the agronomist, there is mutual respect. The agronomist respects a farmer’s tremendous job, and they know that you can provide value to their business.
“Every day is so unique. I also love the freedom of planning my day; I choose when I start and finish based on the work I must do. There are times throughout the season when I am on a beautiful farm, and it is a sunny evening when I cannot believe this is my job.”
Miles began his BASIS course shortly after starting with Agrii, with the iq programme sessions running concurrently with the training. Initially, this helped him fill in some of the basics he needed to gain without having the background of an agriculture-related degree. As the programme progressed, it built his knowledge beyond what was required to pass the BASIS exam to equip him with the skills needed to be an agronomist.
“Without iq, I would have struggled to manage all the information I had to learn for BASIS. It also created a strong group of people at a similar stage in their careers at Agrii, which I could use for support. I have found that my Agrii colleagues will always find time to help me, whether by letting me shadow them as they walk their client’s fields or by helping me build a picture of the farms in my area.
“Now I have completed the iq programme, I hope to build my client portfolio and become an expert in some specific areas of agronomy. To help me with this, I plan to study BASIS advanced potatoes and soil and water,” adds Miles.
Inspiring the Next Generation in Agriculture
Crop Input Specialist Ian Roe and Trainee Agronomist Christina Dutton have teamed up to ignite agricultural interest among Year 2 and Year 4 students in the South West. From seed to shelf, they have delved into the journey of our food, discussed environmental stewardship, and explored diverse careers in agriculture.
Key takeaways:
Seed to Shelf: interactive workshop revealing the journal from seed to the products we find in stores like Shreddies and porridge.
Milk Math: using bottles to showcase the daily production of an average cow.
Potato Power: led discussions on potatoes and engaged in a maths-based game to explore the growing cycle and end-use.
Why it matters:
Closing the knowledge gap between growers and consumers is vital. Research shows farm visits double the chance of considering an ag career, but only 29% of schools have this opportunity, so we decided to take the farm to the school.
