From the CEO’s desk

Well, this quarter has flown past, and in what feels like an eternal lockdown! The big difference this time is of course the children are not in school and pubs are shut.

I was hoping to have been able to get out and about, but it’s not been possible, and I’ve remained in a world of MS Teams, Zoom, email and the phone. I’m sure I don’t need to tell you, these are really challenging times. Those who are remote working and have young children have the daily battle of home schooling, and those who can’t work remotely have the childcare challenge.

Covid challenges

Business performance in different industries is contrasting. Manufacturers seem to have a good forward order bank, but continue to battle to keep production lines running with parts supply issues and keep people Covid-free. Agricultural businesses continue to forge ahead eagerly awaiting spring. Leisure, travel and hospitality industries remain in complete turmoil; I’m sure many will simply not be able to recover for a significant time. The great news is that the vaccine is being rolled out fast, the Government and NHS are doing a great job with over 15 million completed by mid-February. Where I am left bemused is that only now do we seem to be restricting entry into the UK from high risk countries, and making people properly quarantine. The big question, which you may know the answer to when you read this, is ’when will we come out of lockdown?’

College quest

I’ve continued my quest to contact all the colleges and universities who carry out land-based and ag engineering education, following up with student (and staff) presentations on IAgrE and my route into the industry. Colleges and universities are also having a tough time with setting up remote learning for students, especially difficult for practical sessions. Similarly, manufacturers find themselves having to do the same to complete essential technician training. The educational picture is very different between the many establishments, some are thriving with healthy student numbers, others suffering through lack of investment and staff skills shortages. The fact remains that more complex equipment, with larger capital investment and new technologies are not only going to need engineers to design and develop equipment and systems, but also high-quality professional technicians to commission, service and repair the same. We all need to do our bit to promote the industry, make it more visible, educate and encourage people into it, whether it’s through schools, colleges or social media.

At an operational level, the IAgrE team has been busy as always. We are now up and running with the new Registered Environmental Practitioner (REnvP) grade for the Society for the Environment, with our first applicants coming through. We really hope this will appeal to those working in agronomy, forestry, soils, water, etc. Lunchtime lectures and podcasts are still proving popular, we’ve had some really great presentations and interviews. If you know any people who you think would make good listening, please get in touch. Just after Christmas we held the first meeting of the Executive for 2021 and my first one in this new role. I was really encouraged and really look forward to driving our Institution forwards, attracting new members and improving the membership offer.

Spring is on its way

Finally, after all the post-Christmas snow and lots of sharp frosts the ground seems to be drying up really well and daffodils appearing in full force. It’s certainly the case in South Cheshire anyway and I’m not allowed to go anywhere else! There’s a certain aroma in the air due to the ensuing flurry of tractor and muck spreader activity making use of the frozen ground. Spring is on its way, I’m sure everything will start and feel much better!

Charlie Nicklin C.Eng MIAgrE

ceo@iagre.org