Food manufacturers invited to help deliver new diplomas

Citation

(2008), "Food manufacturers invited to help deliver new diplomas", Nutrition & Food Science, Vol. 38 No. 2. https://doi.org/10.1108/nfs.2008.01738bab.015

Food manufacturers invited to help deliver new diplomas

Article Type: Food facts From: Nutrition

Employers in the food and drink sector are being urged to step forward to help deliver a groundbreaking manufacturing qualification in schools. Offers of involvement are now being sought from companies to play lead roles when the Diploma in Manufacturing and Product Design is first made available in schools and colleges in September 2009. The diploma is one of 14 being phased in for 14 to 19-year-olds to offer applied, work-related learning as an alternative to GCSEs and A-Levels. It is being drawn up by the five sector skills councils (SSCs) that work in close consultation with employers, trainers and educationalists covering the manufacturing industry on all issues relating to increasing workforce skills. The lead SSC in developing the manufacturing diploma is Improve, the SSC for food and drink manufacturing. Improve chief executive Jack Matthews believes it offers manufacturers in all sectors an unprecedented opportunity to influence secondary education.

Firms are being invited to form partnerships with local schools and colleges to submit applications to deliver the Diploma in Manufacturing and Product Design from 2009. Employers will be asked to get involved in a number of ways, from helping keep teachers up to date with industry developments to taking pupils for the mandatory 10 days' work experience required to complete the diploma.

For details on how to become part of a partnership, employers should log on to: www.manufacturingdiploma.co.uk or contact their SSC.