Cross Party Food Group – 18 January 2017

Attended by Douglas Scott and Gordon King. 35 in attendance including three MSPs. There were three presentations made.

Moira Stalker, FDF Scotland was the first speaker. One of a number of food education projects funded by Scottish Government.
Aim to promote careers and make it a destination of choice
Want young people, patients and teachers to understand the opportunities in F&D.
Want to enable connections and food chain to be understood
See FDF website for more
Promote pathways into F&D
26,000 pupils contacted in various ways. Network of 300 ambassadors. There are good examples of working together.
Awareness raising
All resources are on their website
Industry and stakeholders contribute generously, facilities, time and in kind.
Skills Investment Plan for F&D to be launched 19/02/17
Moira felt that there was traction for all education partners to move together, there are appropriate qualifications and real pathways with opportunities at the end of it.

Kate Mathieson, Food and Drink Subject Mentor, College Development Network

Explained objectives and focus is to
Raise Industry profile within the college sector, explain the value to Scottish economy.
Promote STEM reliance in supply chain
Support creation and uptake of fit for purpose qualifications
Work with partners to create flexibility and articulate pathways into industry.

National Progression Award in Food Manufacturing (Level 6 SCQF) was heralded by Kate as a great success. Comparable to Higher passes that will hopefully allow food industry choices to be made at school level.

CPD for school teachers undertaken as a pilot in Perth College.

College curriculum is not easy to change.
Kate maintained that partnership, collaboration and joined up working at key going forward.

Gerry McBride, Strategic Development Manager, SDS.
Stressed the importance of the Skills Investment Plan.
Presented on MAs. Apprentices important since biblical times!
Open to new and existing employees.
“In most cases fully funded”

Gerry said that businesses need to attract new talent and as well as Moira and Kate's important work, Modern Apprenticeships (MA) were another part of the jigsaw. These provide work based learning providing qualifications, developing competences and transferable skills. Employers found the scheme beneficial as the skills were aligned to their needs, there was help with training costs, motivated staff and gave access to a pipeline of future talent. There was a wide range of MAs available, with 75% of employers saying they improved productivity, 89% that they would recommend the scheme and 88% that they were important for their business.

DS raised the threat to the sustainability of training providers, threatened due to reduced contribution rates in the food and drink sector. Apprenticeship Levy – asked how can we expect to see the additional money coming back from UK Government through the Barnett Formula be spent on skills development? £280m, SDS current spend is £74m.
GK highlighted the lack of funding for Level 3 qualifications which was a paradox given declared objectives to achieve more qualifications at Level 3.
No answers were forthcoming but the CPFG did agree to write to the MSPs who might listen.

Meeting closed at 7.30pm