Food industry hits landmark for apprentices

01-Apr-2013 - Last updated on 15-Mar-2017 at 08:44 GMT

Food businesses are keen to attract young talent

New figures have revealed that the UK's food industry has passed the 50,000 landmark number for apprenticeships created over the past 18 months.

It follows a big skills push by businesses along the food supply chain, according to Improve, the food and drink sector skills council for food manufacturing. The number of apprenticeships in food manufacture has nearly trebled. In the 18 months between June 2011 and December 2012, the UK saw 7,535 new apprenticeships.

The news was welcomed by food minister David Heath: "The UK's food and agriculture sector is our biggest employer providing jobs for 3.7M people and contributing over £96bn to our economy. I want to see this sector grow and become more globally competitive, creating more job opportunities for young people."

Justine Fosh, chief executive of Improve, said: "The increase in apprenticeships in food manufacturing represents a concerted response to the challenge of recruiting 137,000 new staff by 2020 to replace a significant section of the experienced workforce nearing retirement."

She said apprenticeships were a proven tool in attracting and nurturing the next generation of food workers as well as helping existing workers respond to the twin challenge of automation and new technology.

The apprenticeship drive was spurred by a 2011 report coordinated by Improve, which identified a range of common skills challenges shared by businesses in the sector. It identified the need to update the skills and knowledge of existing staff and make working in food businesses more attractive to young people as many workers approached retirement.

Vital

Angela Coleshill, employment, skills director at the Food and Drink Federation (FDF), said apprentices were vital to the sector's success and achieving the FDF's joint vision with government to grow food manufacturing by 20% by 2020.

Coleshill said the government's new plans for apprenticeship reform put employers at the heart of developing qualifications that met their needs plus those of apprentices. She said the focus on standards and quality "reflects the next phase of FDF's apprenticeship pledge, which will aim to drive an increase in the number of higher-level apprenticeships and develop an industry-recognised quality standard for training providers".

In a separate move, new food management qualifications developed by awarding body FDQ ̶ a subsidiary of the Meat Training Council in conjunction with food manufacturers were already attracting the attention of some big names in the business.

Qualifications

The qualifications blend together process management with people management content all placed within a food context. They are designed to provide skills that businesses need at team leader and supervisor level.

Manufacturers such as Maple Leaf UK and Brown Brothers Food Group plan to sign up members of their staff. Convenience firm Bakkavör is also expected to sign up.

"By introducing a qualification that is specifically developed for food manufacturing, it will help us to attract the right talent, build our employer brand and retain talent within our business," said Colleena Vozniak-Sears, HR manager for Maple Leaf Bakery.