The unique 18-month course kicked off last week with the first training session in Peterborough, supported by the NPA and BPEX.

It is an important part of the plan to build a skilled, professional and sustainable pig industry. Some of those on the course are new to management and others looking for new ways to develop their role and their business. All are aiming to manage an effective team and achieve good physical and financial performance on their units.

The group spent two days getting to know each other and focused on skills in team building, problem solving and managing a workload. Getting an insight into wider pig industry issues is another valuable part of the course – NPA Chairman Stewart Houston and BPEX Director Mick Sloyan were the first invited speakers and discussed the different roles of the two organisations.

Course leader Alistair Gibb of Cedar Associates was very pleased with how it went: “The group worked together really well on a challenging range of activities. They had some very active discussions on many areas of pig unit management and were keen to share views on how things are done on different farms.”

And it is not just the 11 individuals who have embarked on the course. There is a commitment from each business as a whole. Employers and line managers have also had training to help them mentor those on the course. The course is all about practical application on farm and it is important to have ongoing support from someone within the business.