Forge a sustainable future

Never before in human history has so much ink been spilled on the topic of sustainability. Never before has this topic been so misunderstood.

Establishing a united definition of sustainability and working out how to apply sustainable principles to the food and drink industry is half the battle.

Step forward the government's Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS), sector skills council Improve, Ri Training and the Food and Drink Federation (FDF). They are all working jointly on devising occupational standards that can be used as the basis for training up everyone in the food industry on how to promote sustainability in their various roles. Ri Training, which has had considerable experience of working on occupational standards in the past, is doing most of the initial legwork to pull them together, based on industry input, in this case.

The project is part of a wider campaign to develop occupational standards across the board, specifically via Improve in food processing. "Improve has obtained the necessary funds from DIUS for the project as part of £100,000 worth of work on occupational standards that it is taking part in this year," says Improve development director Derek Williams.

Occupational standards were originally set up as the foundation for National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) to provide employees with practical training that could be applied directly to their jobs.

Now these standards are being reworked as the government ensures they are updated and attempts to enhance the way in which they are applied to industry. "NVQs are lessening in importance as qualifications are coming on line that are more flexible," says Patrick McDaniel, chief executive of Ri Training. "From the company point of view qualifications are secondary. The standards provide the opportunity for improving quality of work."

The government is feeding occupational standards into Qualification Curriculum Frameworks for different sectors. Firms will increasingly be able to use these frameworks to create bespoke internal training programmes.

The idea is that foundation degrees, and possibly more advanced qualifications for the food sector will refer back to the standards and that external training providers can draw on them too. They can also be used as a basis of appraisals and recruitment, says McDaniel. And Williams adds: "We expect the standards to be useful to employers in terms of underpinning corporate social responsibility strategies."

The FDF's involvement in helping to define sustainability standards follows the launch of its Fivefold Environmental Ambition in October 2007, with members committing to five core 'green' targets.

But sustainability could be seen as a wider subject than just environmental concerns, potentially embracing everything from recruiting from the local community to the way ingredients are sourced and ethical trading. And it's not just about the large, industry-wide issues, such as reducing carbon emissions. It's the little things, including turning office lights off and not leaving taps running. "We all know things like transport, water use and waste are big issues, but other areas are more woolly," says McDaniels.

Hammering out a definition of sustainability in the workplace when there are so many differing opinions about the detail is a real challenge. Consequently, rather than get bogged down in abstract idealism, McDaniels aims to secure agreement on sustainable practices. "We're looking at the processes people need to go through to strive for sustainability, identifying aspects of best practice."

Of course, these will differ from site to site and larger processors will need to apply standards in different ways at different plants. "For example, Premier Foods has many sites. Each is in a different location, with different resources, in different communities with different products," says McDaniel. "All we can do is provide a basic framework."

He admits it's a huge issue - and deadlines are tight, with the aim of providing final sustainability standards by the end of March next year. "We will be involved in two to three months of work to stimulate interest in the sector," McDaniel says. "It's a massive area, with lots of different things going on."

Draft standards have already been compiled by Improve, with companies already participating in the project set to receive these before Christmas. In addition, there may be a little wiggle room with these deadlines.

That's why he needs all the help he can get, with a clarion call going out to the whole industry to provide their feedback on the formation of these standards.

With this in mind, the FDF is holding a workshop at its London headquarters on January 21 to consolidate opinions and is encouraging as many of its members to attend. Another meeting is planned to follow at Improve's HQ in York on January 27.

"We've got to move as fast as we can to create these standards, but they have also got to be owned by the industry," McDaniel says. "We can only go to press with standards everyone is happy with. We're behind on the milestones, but we won't know how far behind until January." Part of the motivation, particularly for small to medium-sized businesses, to get to grips with these standards is that customers will increasingly be demanding it, he says.

On that front, retailers, who are already involved in creating government guidance on sustainability, are also expected to provide input on sustainability standards for the food industry, but at a later point. "They will have a role," says McDaniel. "But we want to get to first base before we involve them."

Once the basics are established, they can be fine tuned, so they are not set in stone, but they are a start. And provided the coordinating bodies get the support they need, hopefully everyone in food processing, from line operators to chief executives, will develop a much clearer idea of how sustainability works in practice. FM

processors get extra for apprenticeships

Food processors can access extra cash to fund existing apprenticeships, thanks to the Apprenticeship Expansion Programme (AEP), a trial just launched by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC).

A pot of more than £10M has been freed up over the next three years in a bid to increase the number of available apprenticeship vacancies to fill existing skills gaps. The aim of the AEP is to develop and test models that will allow employers to recruit and train additional apprentices and help them secure employment.

The money will be available to large businesses and groups of small to medium-sized enterprises that already have apprentices on their books and are already receiving support from the LSC. The grants can be used to cover aspects such as wage, training and management costs. However, food and drink businesses will have to compete with firms from other sectors, with the investment granted on a first-come, first-served basis.

"Skills brokers, via Business Link, will be key people in terms of identifying employers, training providers, people close to the LSC," says Derek Williams, development director at food and drink sector skills council Improve."

David Way, LSC national director of apprenticeships, says: "Given the current economic slowdown it is important that companies continue training their staff to maintain productivity and a competitive edge. Employing apprentices is an ideal way for businesses to position themselves as leaders for recovery. The new funding will make it easier for businesses to do this and provide the opportunity for industry sectors to successfully fill their existing skills gaps."

The government wants the number of apprentices in England to reach 400,000 by 2020. As part of its strategy to achieve this, it is launching the National Apprenticeship Service in April. This is meant to make apprenticeships a mainstream learning option for 16-18 year-olds.

"We welcome the news and we urge food and drink employers to get involved," says Williams.