Britain increases apprenticeships to encourage food innovation

New high-level academic degrees to create the next generation of food entrepreneurs were announced Tuesday by the British government's business and environment departments.

The department for business, innovation and skills, along with Defra, the department for environment, farming and rural affairs, said in a joint statement the new degrees would help safeguard Britain's position as a world leader in high-tech food innovation. British innovation, it added, has given the world tinned food, fizzy water, and the chocolate bar.

On Tuesday, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Elizabeth Truss brought together more than 30 food sector experts and employers to challenge the industry to provide more opportunities for young people in the form of apprenticeships.

"The next generation of food entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to combine a high quality degree and on-the-job training under plans for new food degree apprenticeships," Truss announced.

The three apprenticeships -- spearheaded by the National Skills Academy for Food and Drink (NSAFD) -- are being developed by a consortium of employers and industry representatives.

The British government has announced a target to treble the number of apprenticeships in food and farming by 2020, while the Food and Drink Federation (FDF) has estimated 109,000 new recruits are needed by 2022 in the food industry alone.

The government statement added: "The government is doubling the annual level of spending on apprenticeships between 2010-2011 and 2019-2020 in cash terms to 2.5 billion pounds (3.55 billion U.S. dollars)."

Truss said: "We have a proud heritage in food innovation -- from Fry's first ever chocolate bar to HP Sauce. Today, we outstrip France and Germany when it comes to exciting new food and drink inventions."

"Food and farming should be a top career destination for our young people, as prestigious as medicine, as fun and stimulating as the gaming industry, and as cutting-edge as London's Tech City."

"We are already seeing more skilled workers enter the industry -- rising faster than other areas of manufacturing -- and these new degree apprenticeship schemes will provide an even brighter future in an industry that generates billions of pounds for our growing economy."

Skills minister Nick Boles said: "It used to be that some careers were only an option if you went to university. We're changing that with degree apprenticeships. They give young people the chance to get on in life like never before and ensure businesses have the talented workforce they need to grow."

FDF director Angela Coleshill said: "As an industry, we have set out a target to increase the number of apprentices in our workforce from one percent to three percent by 2020." Endit