Manufacturing Industry Shows Good Taste in Training Says Food and Drink SSC

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The newest qualification to be launched in British Education, the schools diploma, is benefiting from the input of thousands of individuals and organisations sharing their expertise.

The message is clear; after everything has been and gone, let’s get this one right! As this is the mission, the advice of employers is being welcomed in formulating the curriculum available. This is to make certain that the proposed entry of manufacturing into the school curriculum by 2009 is built upon the best practices and needs of the sector.

Building a Skills Base

This diploma, part of a whole gamut of vocational qualifications, is benefiting from contributions from all five Sector Skills Councils (SSCs) in the manufacturing industry. Their input is further being supported by the SSC for the food and drink manufacturers, Improve. The site that will be encouraging this participation will be available from the 1st of July, and is available by clicking here.

The four SSCs that are participating alongside Improve in this initiative are Semta, the SSC that covers the science and engineering sector; Cogent, SSC for the chemical, nuclear and gas industries; Proskills, representing processing and general manufacturing industries; and Skillfast UK, the SSC which covers the clothing, footwear and textiles sector.

Steering the Right Course?

The creation of a new qualification is not something to be accomplished without substantial oversight. As such, there will be a steering group, made up from a selection of employer representatives from all the manufacturing sub-sectors. This steering committee has the specific task of developing and managing the creation and progress of the diploma. The steering group is to take charge of approving the final content and structure of the diploma. This diploma is only one part of the puzzle, with 13 other specialised diplomas to be launched throughout England in 2008.

The steering group will be chaired by Chrissie Dunn, a businesswoman with more than 25 years” experience in food manufacture. She said: “The new diploma will give school pupils an alternative to the traditional academic route of GCSEs and A-levels. It will combine practical work with technical theory, and as it’s being designed by employers, will lay an important foundation for a range of initiatives to help close skills gaps and reduce skills shortages.”

Jethro Marsh

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