'Traditional rural skills are at risk of dying out'

Phil Wilkinson-Jones
Local Democracy Reporter
Getty Images A sheep and three lambs stand in a field - the sheep and one of the lambs are looking to the left, another lamb has its head resting on the other's back. The third lamb is looking directly at the camera.Getty Images
A councillor questioned whether was being done to preserve rural skills

Rural skills in Worcestershire could be at risk of disappearing if action is not taken, a councillor has claimed.

Richard Udall, Labour group leader on Worcestershire County Council, asked the Reform UK-led authority what it could do to increase training opportunities in the area.

He said blacksmithing, thatching, dry stone walling and sheep shearing were among the skills "at risk of dying out", adding that no educational body he was aware of provided training for such jobs.

Councillor Alan Amos, cabinet member for business and skills, said preserving rural skills was an important part of the county's cultural heritage.

"These crafts are indeed at risk due to the lack of formal training pathways and the aging demographic of current practitioners," Amos told Thursday's full council meeting.

The Reform member said he would look into whether there was demand for such courses and review current apprenticeships.

He said if funding was available, the authority's early careers team could support schools and colleges to integrate rural skills into their programmes.

"These traditional skills present a challenge around the cost of set-up, upskilling existing staff and recruiting individuals qualified to teach," he added.

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service, which covers councils and other public service organisations.

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