Food body to treble apprenticeships
1 Jan 2016
The Food and Drink Federation (FDF) has pledged to treble apprenticeships and grow value-added food and drink exports by a third by 2020.
The target builds on an existing pledge to increase the number of higher-level apprenticeships by 20% by 2017, and other sector-wide initiatives to address a "looming skills shortage", the FDF said.
According to the FDF, the pledge is expected to swell the total apprenticeship workforce in the sector from 1% to 3% against a 2013/2014 baseline.
“By championing the latest technology, building skills and creating jobs and apprenticeships, we will create a stronger brand for British food and drink that will see more of our quality produce enjoyed at home and exported around the globe”
Meanwhile, the target to grow value-added food and drink exports by a third would achieve a total value of £6 billion by 2020, the FDF said.
President of the FDF, Fiona Kendrick, announced the apprenticeships pledge at the body’s President’s Reception in December, which was also attended by food and drink manufacturers and MPs.
Kendrick, who is also chief executive officer and chairman of Nestlé UK and Ireland, said increasing the number of apprenticeships and growing exports are key ambitions for the food and drink industry.
“We have made excellent progress against each of our strategic priorities this year and our new pledge is a significant commitment from Britain’s largest manufacturing sector to help drive up British productivity and economic growth,” she said.
Secretary of state for the environment, food and rural affairs Liz Truss, who attended the FDF event, said the government wants to encourage even more young people to launch careers in our “booming” food and drinks industry and “rise to the sector’s new challenges”.
“We want food and farming to be a top destination for high-flying graduates, as prestigious as medicine, as fun and stimulating as the gaming industry, and as cutting-edge as London’s Tech City.
“By championing the latest technology, building skills and creating jobs and apprenticeships, we will create a stronger brand for British food and drink that will see more of our quality produce enjoyed at home and exported around the globe,” said Truss.
Truss said she welcomed the FDF’s pledge to match the government’s commitment to treble the number of food and farming apprenticeships.
