Food and drink manufacturers in Scotland will have better access to a new suite of vocational qualifications that have been designed in consultation with employers to plug recognised skills gaps in the industry.

The Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA), Scotland’s national body for qualifications other than degrees, has officially adopted a new framework for Scottish Vocational Qualifications (SVQs) in food manufacture, devised by Improve, the food and drink sector skills council.

The new qualifications, which assess the skills needed to carry out a particular job, are intended to be more flexible after food companies commented that previous SVQs were too rigid and could not always be adapted to suit all job roles carried out in the workplace. A special web tool called ‘Pick YOUR Mix’ allows employers or training providers to design tailor-made SVQ courses for each and every employee enrolled.

Improve chief executive Jack Matthews said SQA’s adoption of the new framework was a massive step forward as the food and drink industry strives to meet ambitious targets on up-skilling its workforce. He said: “The key aim of the new SVQ framework is to give all 49,000 employees in Scotland’s food and drink industry the chance to earn a qualification relevant to their particular line of work.

“At present, around one in five employees in the industry have no qualification at all, while half are not qualified beyond Level 2 - the standard expected of a school leaver at 16. We have listened extensively to employers and other stakeholders, such as training providers, about the best ways to tackle those issues.”

There are plans to increase the turnover of the food and drink manufacturing industry in Scotland from £7.6 billion to £10bn by 2017, and improving skills is a key part of the strategy.

SQA business manager Gordon Rodgers said: “The food and drink industry is very important not only to Scotland’s economy but also to Scotland’s culture. It is essential for SQA to support the food and drink sector through our engagement with Improve and with employers, colleges and schools to develop flexible awards that respond to both the current and the future skills needs of this sector.”