Called the Food and Drink Sector Routeway Training Programme, the scheme aims to train or retrain candidates in two- or eight-week courses that will give jobseekers the skills they need to pursue positions throughout the industry.
The programme has received government backing but is still in the development phase and interested employers can join a steering group that will oversee its development.
Funding will come from the government's Young Person's Guarantee: a scheme run by the Department for Work and Pensions that provides training and opportunities for 18- to 24-year-olds who have been unemployed for six months.
Improve partner The National Skills Academy for Food and Drink Manufacturing will deliver the training through its established network of providers.
The qualifications received will provide the basic foundations for advanced apprenticeships if jobseekers wish to continue training and improve their skills further at a later date.
l See Careers, p80.