New Group to Develop Skills for Food Industry in Wales

A group of academics and food industry professionals have come together to drive forward the food industry in Wales.

 

The Food Industry Skills Strategy Group will oversee and direct the Food Industry Skills Project which will provide employees and graduates with the skills and experience they need for the industry.

 

The project has attracted £250,000 of funding from the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales to design and develop a Masters course and other industry specific short courses. The project group will also work closely with the food industry to create a bursary scheme for food science-related degrees at Welsh universities.

 

Colleges, higher education institutions and skills groups will work in partnership to develop and deliver skills-focussed programmes to boost the sector. The University of Wales Institute, Cardiff (UWIC), the University of Glamorgan, Aberystwyth University, Coleg Menai, Food Centre Wales and Improve will focus on skills delivery and developing professionals in the industry.

 

Sector leaders such as Premier Foods, First Milk and Northern Foods are members of the group and provide expert advice on the needs of industry.

 

Helen Taylor, UWIC’s Food Industry Skills Co-ordinator and Chair of the group, said: “This group has pan-Wales representation and we have deliberately chosen companies from across a majority of key sectors, covering various products and processes like dairy, meat and organic produce.

 

“The group will pull knowledge and experience together to combat the issues the food industry has been facing in recent years. A skills gap has been identified and it is great that so many organisations are getting involved to turn this around. The desire is there and now we have the expertise to move things forward.”

                                                         

 

Notes to editors

 

1. The following institutions/organisations are members of the Food Industry Skills Strategy Group:

The University of Wales Institute, Cardiff (UWIC)

Aberystwyth University

University of Glamorgan

Coleg Menai

Improve

Food Centre Wales

Serious Food

First Milk

Memory Lane Cakes Ltd (Part of the Finsbury Food Group)

Beacon Foods

Castell Howell

Kellogg

Rachel’s organic

Welsh Bros Foods

Dawn Foods

Northern Foods

Brookes Avana (part of the Premier Group)