The Lion Training Passport has marked its fifth birthday. Now boasting more than 4,000 active trainee members, it was established by a working group made up of the British Egg Industry Council, Poultec and Lantra.
A group of industry representatives, led from the inception by Jeff Vergerson, Chairman of the British Egg Association, make up the LTP Committee who, with Poultec, provide the scheme governance and oversee the development of training standards. Its objective is to ensure that all stock people are trained to the same high standard across UK egg production farms, pullet rearing farms and pullet hatcheries.
While initially launched as a voluntary scheme, it became compulsory for British Lion registered farms in 2021, and integrated into the British Lion Code of Practice. The fully digital Passport tracks each individual throughout their career, regardless of organisation.
As the scheme celebrates its fifth anniversary, almost 12,000 courses have been completed, covering topics including Poultry Health & Welfare – Management, Biosecurity, Security and Egg Collection, Food Safety and Health and Safety. Course content and topics are reviewed on an ongoing basis to incorporate the latest scientific and veterinary advice, and reflect the evolving requirements of those working on farms. Modern Slavery Awareness is one of the newer content topics, for example.
Mark Williams, British Egg Industry Council chairman, said: “It’s tremendously gratifying to celebrate five years of the Lion Training Passport. There is no doubt that it has played a major role in helping to raise and maintain on-farm standards, positively impacting those working in our industry, the many thousands of colleagues who have taken part in the courses, the industry as a whole, and of course consumers who are able to enjoy a delicious British Lion egg, with all of the assurance the Lion mark provides.
“Now the Passport is established we have exciting plans to develop it further over the next five years, supporting the role that ongoing professional development can play in the production of British Lion eggs to world-leading standards.”
Anglia Free Range Technical Manager, Charlotte Fursdon, said the Passport had been helpful within the business: “Over the past five years, the Lion Training Passport has become a fundamental part of how our producers operate.
“It really helps to drive a collective awareness among the team of why the jobs they’re doing, and the specific way in which they need to be done, is so important. The result of that is people really take pride in what they’re doing, and genuinely understand how each role impacts the next one. It also helps them with their own career development, providing them with the building blocks for a successful career in animal husbandry.”
Egg producer, Ivory Arden, said: “The Lion training Passport has not just helped me personally, it has really helped the wider farm staff at all levels consider their involvement in the industry as an attractive long-term career option, with a pathway to increase knowledge, and expertise, and hopefully progress from there.”