WineGB has launched its latest Hiring Toolkit, the third in its series of comprehensive guidance documents supporting best practice in vineyards and wineries. The new toolkit is designed to help anyone involved in hiring, training, or supporting people in wine and it includes templates for agreements, code of conducts, and policies, checklists, tips for staff retention and a list of resources to support with hiring. In addition, users of the toolkit can also find case studies about good practice in the industry around hiring, inclusion, and people policies as well as research and information on recruitment and workers in the industry.
The toolkit is particularly aimed at supporting small producers or those who don’t have HR or the time to create these resources. In addition, the guide highlights the latest employment data from the English and Welsh wine industry.
The number of employees in the industry is rapidly increasing and now has 3,300 full-time equivalent (FTE) roles, up from 2,300 roles in 2023 an increase of more than 40%.
Recruitment in hospitality has seen the biggest increase. There has been an even larger jump in recruitment in seasonal temporary positions with a 56% increase to 13,000 people from 8,300 part-time or seasonal positions in 2023. By 2028 90% of respondents to the WineGB Industry Survey expect to increase their full-time equivalent positions resulting in a 21% rise in full-time equivalent roles, and by 2040 modelling suggests a sector employing 30,000 jobs.
Nicola Bates, CEO of WineGB, comments: “With the numbers of employees increasing rapidly in our sector, and even more expected growth, we are helping the sector with the toolkit. We are particularly mindful of the additional workload recruitment can create, especially at a time of growth within our industry. Many wineries are starting harvest right now and employing extra staff, so it’s crucial that we provide all the essential help we can.”
