A new strategic partnership between Agri-TechE and Management Development Services (MDS) is set to connect emerging talent with innovative businesses across the food, farming and fresh produce sectors.
The collaboration will enable Agri-TechE members to host MDS trainees on six-month secondments, with the first placements beginning in October 2026.
Through the scheme, participating businesses will be able to bring high-potential trainees into their organisations, gaining fresh perspectives and additional expertise while supporting talent attraction, succession planning and workforce resilience.
Agri-TechE members will be able to host their first trainee secondment without becoming members of MDS, offering businesses an opportunity to experience the programme before making a longer-term commitment.
The partnership will also give MDS trainees access to Agri-TechE’s Early Career Innovators’ Forum (ECIF), its community and programme of events. These include specialist webinars, farm and industry visits, networking opportunities and the annual ECIF Conference.
Through the forum, trainees will be able to engage with agri-tech businesses, researchers, investors and innovators, helping them to broaden their industry knowledge, build professional networks and develop their leadership capabilities.
Existing MDS members will also have the opportunity to join Agri-TechE, providing access to expertise and developments spanning agricultural technology, sustainability, productivity, supply-chain innovation, funding, regulation and policy.
MDS has spent more than 40 years developing future leaders for the food, agriculture and fresh produce industries. Its structured programme combines professional development with rotational placements across participating businesses.
Kirsty Barden, Head of Careers and Development at MDS, said exposure to the breadth and pace of innovation across the sector would complement the organisation’s management and leadership programme, preparing trainees for future leadership roles.
Kate Brunswick, Strategic Partnerships Director at Agri-TechE, said the partnership would unite the organisation’s network of innovators, researchers, growers and industry leaders with MDS’s experience in developing talent.
She added that the collaboration was intended to strengthen connections, stimulate fresh thinking and develop the skills required to address the challenges and opportunities facing farming, agri-tech and the wider food supply chain.
Agri-TechE members interested in hosting a trainee from October have been invited to submit potential secondment opportunities to MDS by the end of July. Expressions of interest should provide an overview of the business, details of the proposed role and an explanation of how a trainee could support the organisation’s objectives.
Sources: Agri-TechE’s partnership announcement and The Scottish Farmer.
