Scotland Overview

Scotland’s Food and Drink Industry plays a key role in the UK’s economic future.

With this in mind and because the issues that affect businesses such as funding, qualification frameworks and government legislation often differ depending on where you live in the UK, we have adopted an approach which allows us to focus on what matters to you wherever you live. This is why Improve have set out a strategy tailored to tackle the issues which affect Scottish businesses today.

As Improve’s Nations manager for Scotland I work closely with businesses across the Scottish Food and Drink Industry, key stakeholders and government to promote the importance of the industry. To here more about the work I do in Scotland click here.

Within the four key areas for action, Improves priorities are as follows:

Employer/Stakeholder Engagement

We will be working to increase the range and depth of communication with employers, partners and stakeholders via a new Scottish newsletter (issued 3 times per year), Scottish section of the soon to be relaunched Improve website, creation of Scottish employers Forum and membership of Scotland Food & Drink Executive Group.

Labour Market Intelligence

An ongoing objective will be to continue our role as a key developer, source and authority on Labour Market Intelligence for the Food & Drink industry including our publication of a Scottish sector profile and Sector Skills Assessment on an annual basis.

National Occupational Standards/Qualifications

Key priorities during current year are completion of credit rating and levelling on the SCQF of outstanding Food Manufacture SVQ pathways at Level 1, 2 and 3 in order to maintain compliance particularly with regard to MA frameworks. Introduction of Food Manufacturing Excellence as an SVQ/MA framework option will be an important new addition to the portfolio of F&D sector qualifications. A third piece of work will see the review of the entire Food Manufacture suite of SVQ’s starting in Q4 2011 to enable us to ensure that the sector has a current set of vocational qualifications beyond the December 2012.

Sector Specific Activities

Closer collaboration with LANTRA and Skillsmart Retail as part of a Scottish Food & Drink Supply Chain cluster will see the development of a combined LMI profile, a briefing paper highlighting the importance of this part of the economy in terms of value, employment and skills priorities when engaging with the Scottish Government, Scottish Parliament and Stakeholders and finally the hosting of a joint Parliamentary Reception in the Autumn.

Improve will continue to support the reach and impact of the Scotland Food & Drink skills Academy through participation on the Project Board, through sharing/analysis of sector our LMI/Insight/Research findings of skills priorities and finally through referrals to the SFDSA of employers with specific training needs.

Continue to increase the participation of the Food & Drink sector in the Modern Apprenticeship programme through the development of a range of case studies highlighting the experience and benefits of candidates and employers alike through their involvement with apprenticeships.

Kelvin Thomson, National Manager Scotland