Home > News > February 2007 > 01 February 2007

Food and drink National Skills Academy approved

Skills minister Phil Hope MP has announced the approval of a National Skills Academy for Food and Drink Manufacturing. This is a joint venture between government and industry that aims to address the skill-needs of the food and drink sector.

The National Skills Academy for Food and Drink Manufacturing will open in April 2007 and is forecast to provide vocational education and training for at least 28,000 employees during its first four years.

The academy is a joint venture between Improve (the Sector Skills Council for the sector) and the Learning and Skills Council (LSC).

The training will be delivered through a network of approved Academy Training Centres, each focussing on a particular specialist area.

The first five are: Grimsby Institute of Further and Higher Education (fish processing); University of Lincoln Holbeach Campus (FMCG); Poultec Training, Dereham in Norfolk (meat and poultry); Reaseheath College in Nantwich (dairy); and Johnson Diversey in Northampton (food hygiene). More training centres are expected to join the list as the Academy expands.

Skills minister Phil Hope said: "I am delighted that the Food and Drink Manufacturing sector is now represented in the growing network of National Skills Academies.

"It is vital that we continue to improve our capacity for learning by driving up standards and specialisation if we are to compete successfully in the global market. We want to achieve our aim of up to 12 academies operational by 2008 and that is why we announced earlier this month that employers are now invited to bid to be part of the next round of National Skills Academies."

As well as Food and Drink Manufacturing, the government has approved National Skills Academies for the construction, financial services and manufacturing industries. Bids from the nuclear industry; the chemical industry; the hospitality sector and the creative and cultural industries have been accepted by the Government and have been invited to prepare business plans ready for the next stage of the process.

Jaine Clarke, the LSC's director of skills for employers said: "Each National Skills Academy represents a major commitment by Government in the future skill needs of the economy. We are proud to have worked with Improve - the Sector Skills Council for Food and Drink Manufacturing - to deliver this important initiative.

"Employer commitment and sponsorship is key to the success of National Skills Academies and the benefits for UK employers are far reaching. This is why companies such as Big Bear, Warburton's, Nestle UK and RHM have worked with Improve to create the National Skills Academy for Food and Drink Manufacturing. They believe that a highly trained and motivated workforce delivers improvements to productivity and performance."

Paul Wilkinson, chair of Improve and two major food manufacturers (Big Bear and Produce World) said: "This is a major new landmark in the training provision for food and drink manufacturers. The National Skills Academy has been driven by employers' needs, has been designed by employers, and will be run by employers."

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