The UK Government has launched a new £1.5 million scheme to help develop skills and job opportunities in the local wine sector, it has announced at the WineGB annual conference at Plumpton College.
The Future Winemakers (FWS) programme, announced by Environment Minister Steve Barclay yesterday, will see targeted funding for education, training and upskilling of the workforce, with companies estimating that thousands of new jobs will be created in vineyards over the coming years.
It will aim to introduce new courses at Plumpton College that will develop skills and knowledge, and increase training capacity at Plumpton.
Barclay said the UK had a “long tradition” of producing and trading wine, and that the sector had “huge scope” to expand. He noted that around 2,300 people currently work in the British wine industry, with an additional 8,300 people working part-time, with numbers expected to grow by 50% next year.
He said: “We are proud of what British winemakers have achieved over recent years, and we continue to work hard in partnership with the wine sector to simplify the rules and bring in new financial support.”
Nicola Bates, CEO of Wines of Great Britain (Wine GB), described the launch of this important education fund as “hugely significant” as it will ensure that more British winemakers and viticulturists can be trained to staff the growing industry.
“We are pleased that the Secretary of State has listened to our members to better understand ways in which the government can support our sector at this pivotal stage in our history,” she said. “We are the fastest growing agricultural industry with 4,200 hectares planted to vines, expected to grow by 85% by 2032. After a bumper harvest of around 22 million bottles last year, we need greater support to ensure sustainable and transformative growth.”
2023 was the UK's biggest ever grape crop, producing 50% more production than 2018, the previous record year.
Sam Linter, Director of Wine at Plumpton College and Chairman of WineGB, said it was “not just an investment in people, but a strategic move towards driving innovation and sustainable growth within the sector” and that a commitment to education and skills building was “key in ensuring continued success and resilience.” In our industry.”
“By prioritizing training and development initiatives, we are nurturing a pipeline of talent that will shape the winemaking and viticultural landscape, raise quality standards and position the UK to become a major player in the global wine market,” she said.
The Government is also consulting on a number of issues to boost the UK wine industry. It is investigating the possibility of introducing new rules to enable non-alcoholic or low-alcohol wines to be produced and marketed as wine, which is said to be a response to “rapidly growing consumer demand for drinks with low or no alcohol content”. Other measures under consultation include allowing imported UK wines to be converted, for example carbonating or sweetening wines here, as well as introducing greater transparency into wine labeling rules that would help consumers understand exactly what they are buying – e.g. By stipulating the term “British wine” would only be used for wine products made here from British grapes.
Miles Bell, chief executive of the World Wine Association, welcomed the consultation on further reforms, saying there was an opportunity to introduce greater flexibility for wine producers and importers, “which could allow businesses to innovate and thus help strengthen the UK’s position as a global wine centre”. vintage”.
The consultation will continue until May 10, 2024.
