Transferable skills in land-based and aquaculture sectors: review

1. Introduction

This section introduces this research on transferable skills within the land-based and aquaculture sectors, providing context for why it was undertaken following the Commission for the Land-based Learning Review’s report in 2023. The research is situated within broader efforts to enhance Scotland’s skills landscape, particularly in the context of the Just Transition.

1.1. Need for the research

The Commission for the Land-Based Learning Review was established in 2021 and conducted a review of learning from early years to adulthood in Scotland’s land-based and aquaculture sectors, providing independent, evidence-based advice to Scottish Ministers in a report published in 2023.^[6] The Commission’s goal was to ensure that the land-based learning system adequately equips individuals with the skills and knowledge required by both the workforce and the sectors, while also ensuring that the workforce is sufficiently trained to meet sector needs. In its 2023 report, the Commission put forward 22 recommendations for Scottish Ministers based on their findings. Recommendation 12 specifically called for “research which identifies key transferable skills required across different job roles within the sector”.

This report delivers the research required to fulfil the Commission for the Land-based Learning Review’s Recommendation 12 and identifies key transferable skills required across different job roles within the sector.

1.2. Defining the research

This report defines the land-based and aquaculture sectors based on the definition used by the Commission for the Land-based Learning Review, as encompassing the following activities: agriculture, aquaculture, biodiversity, environmental conservation, equine, forestry, trees and timber, food and drink processing, game and wildlife, horticulture, land-based engineering, and peatland restoration. The following activities were not included: nature-based tourism, outdoor recreation, and renewables (wind, hydro, solar).^[7]

The land-based and aquaculture sectors are currently facing a range of challenges. Businesses are grappling with workforce shortages and difficulties in recruiting skilled workers.^[8] In addition, data about the sectors’ workforce is often insufficient and inconsistent, hindering efforts to accurately assess labour demands.^[9] Education, training, and career pathways within the sectors can also be confusing. The workforce is predominantly made up of white, older men, and there have been criticisms regarding the sector’s accessibility for minority groups, although numbers are now increasing.^[10]

There are also many opportunities within the land-based and aquaculture sectors. Whilst workers in both sectors are predominantly white, older men, the workforce includes increasing numbers of young people, women, and those from minority ethnic backgrounds. There is an opportunity to increase this further. Career options are becoming more diverse, with many roles now combining non-technical and technical skills and knowledge. Recently, the sectors have also been recognised as vital to the shift to ‘green careers’, given their central role in nature restoration, climate change mitigation, and adaptation. As the land-based sector has the greatest impact on the environment of any sector, its contribution to these efforts is vital.

Some areas of the sector are experiencing growth, whilst others are in decline, meaning that workers may need to transition between different jobs. This highlights the importance of identifying transferable skills that can support workers as they move between professions. Furthermore, there is a high demand for seasonal workers within the land-based and aquaculture sectors. The sectors have many seasonal jobs, and Scotland’s exit from the EU has reduced the number of international seasonal workers travelling to work here.^[11] Identifying transferable skills can help support seasonal workers to apply their expertise across multiple roles year-round, further enhancing their employment opportunities and career mobility.

In a broader context, Scotland’s workforce and employment landscape are undergoing rapid changes driven by trends such as mechanisation, demographic ageing, the shift to home-working, and the emphasis on net-zero targets as part of the Just Transition.^[12] Identifying transferable skills is crucial for developing an adaptable workforce capable of navigating evolving skill demands.

1.3. Policy context

This work is closely aligned with the Scottish Government’s commitment to achieving a Just Transition and reaching net-zero emissions by 2045.^[13] The Just Transition principle emphasises that a healthy economy and a clean environment should co-exist. Furthermore, this vision should be achieved through a fair process that should not cost workers or community residents their health, environment, jobs, or economic assets. The land-based and aquaculture sectors will play a crucial role in reducing Scotland’s carbon emissions and achieving a Just Transition. Identifying transferable skills within the sectors will assist workers in carbon-intensive jobs by helping to identify how their existing capabilities can be applied to emerging ‘green jobs’.

Additionally, the research supports the Scottish Government’s Agricultural Reform Programme, which aims to ensure Scotland’s agricultural sector is a global leader in delivering high quality food production, climate mitigation and adaptation, and nature restoration.^[14] The work is also aligned with Scotland’s Land Use Strategy,^[15] which seeks to reduce emissions from the land-based and aquaculture sectors and encourages greater integration between industries. Identifying transferable skills within the sectors will be important in advancing this ambition.