Dairy team up targets skills scheming

Industry association Dairy UK says that Project Eden, a Europe-wide dairy education project, is targeting development of new qualifications and training programs that can provide a basis for skills accreditation across the bloc.

Groups including the UK-arm of Arla Foods, Robert Wiseman Dairies, Dairy Crest, and the Society of Dairy Technology will work together under the scheme to provide the accreditation to UK-based manufacturers.

Project launch​

In the UK, the National Skills Academy (NSA) for Food and Drink Manufacturing will be coordinating and overseeing the implementation of Project Eden over the next twelve months ahead of its expected launch in 2009.

NSA director Justine Fosh said that the support of major manufacturers was a major step forward in establishing industry wide accreditation for manufacturing skills in Europe and in the bloc.

“Project Eden is a superb example of employers working together to drive the skills agenda to ensure that learning programmes and qualifications are developed to meet their changing needs,”​ he stated.

Value focus ​

Arla Foods UK’s Jens Termansen, who will head the steering group for the project claimed that equipping employees with skills that can add value to their milk and products would be a major focus of the scheme.

Dairy UK director general Jim Begg added that the cooperation of manufacturers in the country would ensure a massive boost for manufacturing skills across the industry.

“​Enlarging our skilled work base will further strengthen the ​UK​’s competitive position in dairy manufacturing, and we very much look forward to our role in helping to achieve this,”​ he stated.