Processors are to benefit from the first UK-wide research to highlight the benefits of training in the food and drink manufacturing industry.
Commissioned by food and drink sector skills council Improve, the four month study will involve a comprehensive survey of more than 200 food and drink manufacturers. It will pull together relevant findings from existing research dedicated to the value of skills.
Detailed case studies will be prepared to provide real-life examples of the benefits of investing in skills. The research is being carried out by the Centre for Labour Market Studies at the University of Leicester.
Improve chief executive Jack Matthews said: “The importance of skills is often recognised by employers, but many aren’t sure exactly how the benefits of training may impact on their business. The purpose of this study is to enhance employers’ understanding of the value of skills in business, and to provide the evidence companies need when they’re considering whether to invest in skills.”
Food and drink is the largest manufacturing sector in the UK, employing 500,000 people in more than 11,000 workplaces, with a turnover of £74bn per year, claimed Improve. However, more than half the workforce is not qualified above Level Two - the equivalent of five GCSEs - and 28% lack any basic skills.
“The food and drink sector in the UK is second only to Canada in terms of productivity,” said Matthews. “But this position is unsustainable, and unless we take action to up-skill, we will find ourselves slipping down the world rankings.”
Results from the research are expected in May and will be available on the Improve website.