24.10.2008
Food and drink manufacturers in Scotland have received a welcome boost to addressing their training needs with the news that the industry is to introduce the country’s first Level 2 Modern Apprenticeships.
Unlike the rest of the UK, Modern Apprenticeships have only been available in Scotland at Level 3, with training taking up to five years to complete.
After prolonged lobbying to expand the scheme, the Scottish government has approved a Level 2 Modern Apprenticeship framework drawn up by Improve, the food and drink sector skills council, which is expected to see apprentice numbers rocket in the next few years.
Improve chief executive Jack Matthews said: “This will give a real boost to raising the number of apprentices employed by food and drink companies in Scotland. We have always said that Level 3 is too high a starting point for an industry in which half of all employees are qualified no higher than Level 2. The time it takes to complete a Level 3 framework from scratch along with the demanding work load puts too many people off, and this has been seen in the low numbers of apprentices the industry has in Scotland.
“By giving people the option of starting a Modern Apprenticeship at Level 2, you give them the opportunity to build up the skills, knowledge and, not least, the confidence to go on to higher-level training. This is vital for an industry which needs to both raise the bar in terms of skills and attract younger recruits. We now have the right frameworks in place across the whole of the UK to drive up participation, success rates and, ultimately, performance.”
Maureen Watt, the Scottish Minister for Schools and Skills, said: “The Scottish government is determined that all Scots can have the opportunity to develop new skills and Modern Apprenticeships are an important component of Scotland's learning environment. We are currently developing Scotland’s first-ever cross-cutting National Food and Drink Policy to help boost the industry. I am delighted that Improve have developed one of the first Level 2 MAs giving this important industry further support.”
Improve predicts that the Level Two Modern Apprenticeship will attract at least four times the number of learners currently on food and drink-related Skillseeker programmes in three years. The increase in overall apprentice numbers is expected to be much greater – in September 2007, before Improve replaced separate Level 3 Modern Apprenticeships in bakery, meat and poultry and food and drink with a single, cross-sector framework, just 21 apprentices were employed across the whole of the Scottish food and drink industry. Improve is looking to secure funding sufficient for 400 apprentices by 2012.
The Level 2 Modern Apprenticeship in Food Manufacture follows the same structure as the revised Level Three Modern Apprenticeship successfully introduced by Improve in Scotland last December. Apprentices will work towards a Level Two SVQ in Food Manufacture, which offers a flexible choice of more than 500 learning units and allows the training to be tailored to a specific job role. These options will be divided into nine distinct pathways covering specific sub-sectors and operations within the industry, including bakery, meat processing and butchery, and general food processing. Candidates will also be required to undertake further study or qualifications to complement the SVQ, with options ranging from food safety to English as a Second Language (ESOL), and will have to achieve core skills such as communication, numeracy, IT, problem solving and working with others.
To find out more about apprenticeships in the food and drink industry, visit www.improveltd.co.uk.
