Food Supply Chain Facing Skills Gaps

by bdaily.info - 08/06/2011

"A landmark report has shown that a high proportion of workers in the UK food supply chain do not hold the right level of qualifications"

A report published by Improve, the food and drink skills council, looked at primary production, food and drink manufacturing and processing, food wholesale, food retail and hospitality. The report found that 79% of all employees in skilled trade roles in primary production and 64% of employees in management roles in primary production did not possess qualifications at the expected level.

The food supply chain is the UK’s largest employer, employing 3.7 million people nationally and contributing £412 billion annually to the UK economy.

Karen Heslop, Senior Recruitment consultant at supply chain recruitment agency DLC Recruitment, said “this report is the first of its kind, and shows what a vitally important part the food supply chain plays in the UK economy. In light of this, it’s surprising that a high proportion of employees don’t have industry qualifications at the appropriate level for the job they are doing.”

“This is the first time the food supply chain has been examined this way in its entirety, but the report highlights a lot of opportunities to address skills shortages and introduce measures to keep the supply chain competitive and sustainable for the future.”

The report will be used to draw up plans for training and skills initiatives, as well as other measures to encourage sustainable food production by increasing competitiveness and resilience across the food supply chain.

More Details: http://bdaily.info/news/training/07-06-2011/food-supply-chain-facing-skills-gaps/