Ambitious targets for new food and drink apprenticeships - 8th May 08

Revamped apprenticeships in food and drink manufacture are being rolled out across Northern Ireland, promising the nation’s £2.5 billion industry a fresh injection of new talent.

From May, separate apprenticeships for bakery, meat and poultry processing and food and drink manufacture are being replaced by a single, flexible framework offering the chance to specialise in any of the industry’s sub-sectors. The Food Manufacture Apprenticeship will qualify participants to the level of five good GCSEs, with an Advanced Apprenticeship offering training to the equivalent of two A-Levels.

Improve, the food and drink sector skills council, has revised apprenticeships in close consultation with employers to make them more attractive, more cost-effective and better geared to the needs of the industry. Improve’s operations manager for Northern Ireland, Geoff Lamb, said: “Apprenticeships are important because they allow employers to ensure staff are learning the skills that are of most benefit to their business and also attract new talent into industry.

“But that hasn’t been reflected in the numbers of food and drink apprentices in Northern Ireland. One in four businesses in the industry, which employs more than 20,000 people, report skills shortages, and yet, at advanced level, there are fewer than 100 apprentices currently in learning. It was clear that changes were needed to make apprenticeships more attractive.”

Key changes to the framework include the introduction of a modular system of study and assessment allowing apprentices to work towards a technical qualification and a National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) in easy-to-manage, bite-size chunks. The emphasis is on work-based learning, directly linking theory with the practical skills needed to do a particular job. With more than 500 learning units covering all aspects of the industry to choose from, each apprenticeship can be geared towards a specific job, be it a specialist area like craft bakery or butchery, or more a generic role such as production line management.

“It is vital all apprentices have a broader theoretical understanding of a particular job role on top of the actual skills required to do it,” said Mr Lamb. “But we know time spent in the classroom, and therefore away from the workplace, is a concern for employers. By allowing apprentices to work towards their qualifications in smaller, easy-to-manage steps, we can strike a better balance between theory and practice while class-time and workload are kept to a minimum.”

To help employers make the most of the revamped apprenticeship programme, the Food and Drink Training Council, Improve’s partnership body in Northern Ireland, has employed a dedicated apprenticeship advisor – the first time such a role has existed. Brenda Snowden will work directly with local agri-food companies, facilitating employers in developing the skills of their workforce through the apprenticeship scheme.

“We have listened to employers and have amended the framework to fit their needs,” continued Mr Lamb. “This, coupled with the appointment of a dedicated apprenticeship advisor, will make it easier than ever before for food and drink employers in Northern Ireland to make use of, and to benefit from, the apprenticeship scheme.”

For further information about the new apprenticeship framework, contact Geoff Lamb on 07795 977594, or visit the Improve website at www.improveltd.co.uk.