UK manufacturers smash apprenticeship target

UK food and drink manufacturers have smashed apprenticeship targets for 2012, tripling the number of apprenticeships across the industry.

Food and Drink Federation (FDF) President Jim Moseley announced the result at the FDF annual President’s Reception, telling attendees that the industry has beaten its original target of doubling food and drink manufacturing apprenticeships before the end of 2012.

Since August 2011, there have been 5281 apprenticeship starts in food and drink manufacturing businesses across the UK, according to data from the National Apprenticeship Service (NAS). Apprenticeships now make up 1.3% of the overall food and drink manufacturing workforce, up from 0.4% in 2010/2011.

The UK food and beverage industry’s Graduate Excellence engineering course is kicking goals, too, with 23 out of 40 work placements required for students having already been pledged.

Graduate Excellence, the UK’s first dedicated food and drink engineering degree, will begin in September 2014.

The Apprenticeship Pledge and Graduate Excellence have been developed to meet the future needs of the UK’s food and drink manufacturing sector, which aims to grow 20% by 2020.

“Having so many great companies on board, offering quality apprenticeships and work placements as part of the degree, is a sign of our industry’s commitment to support the next generation of skilled food and drink employees and to achieving our vision,” Moseley said.