Seasonal Worker Scheme
The UK’s Seasonal Worker Scheme is a government programme that allows British farmers to recruit overseas nationals to come and work temporarily in the UK to work in specific agricultural jobs.
Every year, thousands of these seasonal workers become the backbone of the soft fruit sector. For the six months they are in the UK, they help ensure British berries – strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and blackberries – are delivered to ripe and fresh to the consumer via all major retailers.
Their work goes far beyond picking. They grade and pack the fruit, supervise teams out in the fields, manage farm machinery, maintain crops, oversee crucial irrigation and keep the operations of a British fruit farm running.
Last year, the Seasonal Workers Scheme provided 43,000 visas for workers in the horticulture sector, with many travelling to the UK from all over the world. For some, it’s their first year. For others, it’s their twentieth.
We sat down with some of seasonal British berry workers to hear their stories: why they joined the scheme, what the work involves, and what encourages many of them to return year after year.
Learn more about seasonal agricultural work through the stories of the people who have experienced the scheme below.
Our Stories
Kateryna
When I first heard about the opportunity to go to England, it seemed almost impossible. For us Ukrainians, a country like England had long existed only in books and movies
Salih
Over the years I was given more and more responsibilities,” he says. “The job just grew over time, and I had the opportunity to rise in my career too.
Ivo and Stef
Don’t be afraid to go outside of your comfort zone. Enjoy something new, something different. We’ve done that, and it’s not scary. You learn new things.
