New funding for future winemaking talent

The announcement was made by Environment Secretary Steve Barclay at Plumpton College

Funding has been announced to develop skills and job opportunities in the wine-making sector.

The government has set aside £1.5m for the new Future Winemakers’ Scheme (FWS), which will aim to encourage the next generation of vintners.

The announcement was made by Environment Secretary Steve Barclay at the annual WineGB conference at Plumpton College in East Sussex.

“The UK has a long tradition of producing and trading wine, and the sector has significant scope to expand,” he said.

The funding will be targeted at educating, training and upskilling, as businesses estimate thousands of new vineyard jobs will be created over the coming years, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said.

'Elevate quality standards'

Mr Barclay says about 2,300 people work in the British wine industry and a further 8,300 are employed part-time, with numbers expected to grow by 50% next year.

“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,” he said.

WineGB chief executive, Nicola Bates, said the funding came at a “pivotal point in our history”.

The funding will also go towards delivering new courses at Plumpton College.

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