Lantra Scotland, a charity which provides access to skills and training for the land-based and aquaculture sector, has announced that its new chair is to be Professor Dave Roberts, who recently retired as Head of the Agriculture and Business Management Department at SRUC.
Dave has a keen interest in dairy farming, having been involved with the Dairy Growth Board and with the Scottish DairyHub since its creation. He has also helped to develop dairy farming in Malawi, is the Chair of Trustees of the Hannah Dairy Research Foundation, a Nuffield Scholar, a Fellow of the Royal Agricultural Societies and a Fellow of the Institute of Agricultural Management.
As the new National Chair for Lantra in Scotland, he will represent the interests of the country’s land-based, aquaculture and environmental industries at a UK board level, while providing support for staff based in Scotland.
Commenting on his new role, Dave said:
“I’ve been part of the sector for over 40 years and have a particular interest in ensuring that we have a well-trained workforce, so I’m delighted to be taking up this position with Lantra in Scotland.
“Land-based and aquaculture industries in rural areas are vital to the Scottish economy, making a substantial contribution to food, timber, energy production and tourism. It’s clear that Lantra Scotland has a crucial role to play here, ensuring that qualifications and training courses reflect the needs of businesses and their staff.
“We need to have up-to-date courses, tailored to the technical and practical needs of employees and employers, while looking at related areas, like health and safety and environmental impact. We also need knowledgeable and practical instructors who understand how training courses fit into the wider aspects of a people’s jobs too.
“I have been very impressed by the work that Lantra has been doing in Scotland, making high quality training available to everyone, regardless of gender and whether or not they have a land-based background. The Women in Agriculture Practical Training Fund is a great example.
“There are lots of amazing opportunities out there, and we need to ensure that these rewarding careers are open to everyone.
I’d also like to say a big thank you to my predecessor, Henry Graham, who did such a fantastic job as Scotland Chair before me”.
Lantra Scotland is a sector skills council and charity funded by the Scottish Government which works to increase the number and diversity of employees in the land-based, aquaculture and environmental conservation sector, and drive their skills development.
