Improve has launched an online ‘Pick YOUR Mix’ interactive tool to help food and drink manufacturers design vocational qualifications for their staff to coincide with the introduction of a radical new framework for National and Scottish Vocational Qualifications (N/SVQs).
The new Food Manufacture framework intends to make N/SVQs more relevant to the workplace by offering a choice of more than 500 learning units covering all aspects of the industry, meaning employers can tailor the qualifications to suit job roles.
The ‘Pick YOUR Mix’ tool helps by matching brief descriptions of job roles to the most suitable options available, suggesting a best-fit programme of learning, designed to meet the skills demands of the job.
Jack Matthews, chief executive of Improve, says the new system will make it easier for employers to plan and provide training, helping them access government funding available for vocational qualifications and boost the performance of their staff.
“Ultimately, this is all about improving the skills of the workforce and increasing profits by raising performance,” he said. “One in five employers in the sector report skills gaps in their workforce and yet fewer than one in 10 have put any employees through a scheme leading to a nationally-recognised qualification in the past year.”
The ‘Pick YOUR Mix’ search engine, which carries an annual subscription charge, also allows employers to download the industry’s National Occupational Standards, which define the skills and knowledge required for different job roles. The standards were developed by Improve in consultation with employers and form the building blocks of the new N/SVQs.
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