Apprenticeships in Manufacturing launch
09 February 2022
The Food and Drink Federation is to join the Apprenticeships in Manufacturing (AiM) partnership as a founding member. The launch of the group was announced by Minister for Skills Alex Burghart MP at a National Apprenticeship Week event organised by the National Manufacturing Skills Taskforce on Tuesday 8 February.
Topics
- Apprenticeships and Qualifications
- Workforce and employment
Chief Executive of the FDF Karen Betts said:
“The FDF is proud to be a part of the new Apprenticeships in Manufacturing group, which we hope will continue to drive high quality apprenticeships in food and drink manufacturing. Great apprenticeship opportunities bring benefits to jobseekers of all ages and employers alike, and we are passionate about bringing new people into our modern and diverse industry. Food and drink is manufactured in every region across the country, and as a result we are very well placed to contribute to building skills and prosperity in communities everywhere.”
Upon announcing the launch of the group, the Minister said:
“The group has my full support in its vital agenda to grow the number of high-quality apprenticeships, the opportunities for young people, the number of manufacturing SMEs offering apprenticeships, and apprenticeships in new and Net Zero sectors.”
AiM is a collaborative partnership between industry and Government which aims to increase and improve the provision of apprenticeships across all parts of the UK’s manufacturing sector.
The group is chaired by Anita Davenport-Brooks of the Lander Group and is comprised of the following nine member organisations representing different parts of the manufacturing sector:
- Food and Drink Federation (FDF)
- Cogent Skills
- Engineering and Machinery Alliance (EAMA)
- Enginuity
- Furniture Interiors Education Skills & Training Alliance (FIESTA)
- Make UK
- National Skills Academy for Food and Drink (NSAFD)
- UK Fashion and Textile Association (UKFT)
- UK Metals Council (UKMC)
AiM will maintain close links with the National Manufacturing Skills Taskforce and will be supported by the Department for Education, BEIS, DEFRA, DWP and the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education.
The hiring and training of apprenticeships has been significantly impacted by COVID. The Department for Education has started to build new partnerships between industry and government with the aim of challenging and addressing these barriers. AiM will strengthen this partnership through committed, skills-focused organisations working collaboratively.