Scotland invests £390k in careers advice
Food and Drink Federation (FDF) Scotland will use the funds to extend it’s ‘A Future in Food’ programme – which raises awareness about career opportunities in Scottish food and drink – to 2020.
Scotland’s employability minister Jamie Hepburn confirmed the funding during a visit to Kirkintilloch High School in East Dunbartonshire today (September 4).
David Thomson, FDF Scotland ceo, welcomed the government’s long term support of the food and drink industry.
“Scotland’s food and drink industry is a great place to be,” said Thomson. “To ensure future success we need to encourage students to start and further their careers in the sector.
‘Opportunity for many young people’
“This programme provides an opportunity for many young people to have a taste of a future career in food and drink.”
Launched in 2012, A Future in Food has helped 26,000 Scottish school pupils access information about food and drink careers.
The programme has created 80,000 resources that can be downloaded to promote jobs in the industry, and has helped 1,600 students and 2,040 teachers visit industry sites.
Commenting on the programme, Thomson said: “Scotland’s food and drink industry is a great place to be. To ensure future success we need to encourage students to start and further their careers in the sector.
“This programme provides an opportunity for many young people to have a taste of a future career in food and drink.”
Collaboration through communication
Future in Food is part of Scotland’s food and drink strategy, known as Ambition 2030. The scheme hopes to make the supply chain more effective, encouraging collaboration through communication and working to improve the high level of skills within the food and drink industry.
Ambition 2030 aims to double the value of the industry to £30bn by 2030 through growing markets in the UK and internationally and developing people and skills.
Thomson added: “Skills and training is a key pillar of Ambition 2030, with 27,000 job openings predicted in the sector over the next 10 years.”
Meanwhile, apprenticeships in engineering and manufacturing could be in jeopardy, according to a new report from the Industry Apprentice Council supported by Semta, the engineering skills body.
