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News article

22 May 2012

Food industry on target to meet pledge to double apprenticeships

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PRESS RELEASE

The Food and Drink Federation (FDF) is pleased to reveal that UK food and drink manufacturers are well on target to meet their pledge to double the number of apprenticeships in the industry by the end of 2012.

The latest data from the National Apprenticeship Service (NAS) and Improve shows that the number of apprentice starts in the first six months of the pledge has reached 1,654 – nearly 50% of our overall target of 3,400! Apprenticeships taken up during this period cover a wide range of disciplines, from production-related roles such as new product development and engineering, to commercial functions such as finance and human resources.

Launched last year, FDF's apprenticeship pledge aims to build a pool of talented apprentices that can be developed and deployed across the sector – building skills for the future and enabling the industry to meet its ambition to grow 20% by 2020. The pledge is delivered in partnership with the National Skills Academy for Food and Drink and NAS.

To raise awareness of the benefits of running apprenticeships, FDF and its partners are running a series of roadshows across the country for food and drink businesses. The next Apprenticeship Roadshow will take place in Preston on 5 July – Further details on this event.

FDF Director of Competitiveness, Angela Coleshill, said:

“We are delighted that we are well on track to meet our target to double the number of apprenticeships in food and drink manufacturing in England and Scotland. We strongly believe that Apprenticeships are a fantastic way of attracting talent for the future and of bringing many benefits to our businesses including increased productivity, improved competitiveness and a motivated workforce."

“By recruiting new apprentices and upskilling our existing employees, we are ensuring that our sector has the right skills now and in the future.”

Note to Editors:

1. The Food and Drink Federation (FDF) is the voice of the food and drink manufacturing industry – the UK's largest manufacturing sector. For more information about FDF and the industry we represent visit: www.fdf.org.uk
   
2. Full details of FDF's Apprenticeship Pledge.
   
3. Registration details: How Apprenticeships can deliver for your business.
   
4. Further information about FDF's careers campaign and skills work: Taste Success – A Future in Food.

More information

FDF press Team

Nicki Hunt on or 020 7420 7132 - nicki.hunt@fdf.org.uk

Rebecca Wilhelm or 020 7420 7140 - rebecca.wilhelm@fdf.org.uk

Avni Raval or 020 7420 7131 - Avni.Raval@fdf.org.uk

Anna Taylor or 020 7420 7118 - anna.taylor@fdf.org.uk

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