Vacancies: Regional Co-ordinators for the Aberdeen-Angus Youth Development Programme

Aberdeen-Angus Cattle Society Youth Development Programme – Mission Statement:

 “Encourage and inspire young people to safely and confidently enter the world of cattle husbandry through education, encouragement and participation”

 As part of their activities, the Aberdeen-Angus Cattle Society feels it is essential to support and encourage young people in the agricultural industry and ensure they are trained for the future.

The Youth Development Programme arm of our organisation is set up to deliver this aim to a targeted audience of anyone interested in cattle from the ages of 8 years to 24 years, and not exclusive to Aberdeen-Angus breeders, but open to all.

The aim of the programme is to develop skills and knowledge of the cattle business. This includes handling, showing, dressing and stock judging in the early part of the programme, progressing to feeding, breeding, housing, health welfare and overall management of cattle, providing training and skills that will be valuable to candidates throughout their careers in livestock, whichever path that may take.

We are in a position where we are seeking to recruit suitably qualified and motivated individuals to take on regional roles as coordinators of workshops for their area.  The regions that we are looking at currently are:

• England North & North Wales
• Scotland

Regional coordinators set up and run three workshops each year, making a total of 12 workshops (including England South & South Wales, and Ireland North & South) and each takes responsibility for the successful delivery of the programme in their respective areas.

Role Details

 Role title:            Regional Youth Development Programme Coordinator

Reporting to:     Communications and Marketing Manager

Role details:     Self-employed. The expected annual time commitment is a minimum of three workshop weekends per year, plus a finals weekend.

The role carries a daily rate which reflects the responsibility of the role.  

Expenses will be reimbursed appropriately.

Role Responsibilities

• Liaise with suitable Aberdeen-Angus breeders to arrange and hold workshops in the region, ensuring that the selected site offers accessibility to a wide catchment area. This includes ensuring that there are sufficient halter-broken cattle available, organisation of equipment and that suitable trainers are available.

• Coordination of budget management for each workshop with the Communication & Marketing Manager.

• Liaise with the internal team to ensure that workshops are publicised well in advance of the event.

• Liaise with other organisations, YFC schools and colleges in the region to promote the workshop and ensure maximum participation.

• Monitor and provide on-site support for each workshop to ensure that all participants have equal opportunities to experience all activities, that health and safety rules are adhered to, that trainers and assessors are appropriately briefed and aware of scoring procedures, and that all participants have an enjoyable workshop experience.

• Collate and summarise scoring for each workshop participant from trainers and assessors, providing feedback to the Communication & Marketing Manager. Provide feedback within a report to the Communication & Marketing Manager including photographs of the workshop.

• Review and analyse each workshop to ensure quality standards are met and that we are developing the format to consistently improve the experience for participants.

Person Specification

Applicants should be:

• An excellent communicator possessing good people skills
• Proficient in social media use, and excellent IT skills, including Office 365 
• A background in agriculture, preferably cattle management
• Detail conscious
• An affinity to work with children and young adults
• A full UK car driving licence, with a willingness to travel within your specific region

Applicants will be required to complete a DBS check.

How to apply

If you are interested in applying for this role, please send your CV and Cover Letter to Felicity Hunter, Communication & Marketing Manager felicity@aberdeen-angus.co.uk. 

Alternatively, for any further information or to arrange an informal chat about the roles on offer, please contact Felicity at the email address above.