Published: Thursday, 3rd September, 2009 9:00am

Loughry College to be food champions

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The College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE) is set to spearhead a new regional training network to meet the needs of the food and drink manufacturing industry in Northern Ireland.

Offering courses in the key areas of food technology, supply management, quality systems, and packaging at its Loughry campus in Cookstown, the College has been selected as a Champion of Northern Ireland's National Skills Academy (NSA) for Food and Drink Manufacturing.

CAFRE became the first organisation in Northern Ireland to be accredited as part of the National Skills Academy's UK-wide network of training providers earlier this year, acknowledging the success of the college in providing innovative skills solutions for food and drink companies.

A wide portfolio of accredited courses are offered by the College and are delivered either at the Food Technology Centre within the Loughry Campus or in company premises.

Head of food technology development at CAFRE, Dennis Legge, said: "We are proud to champion the National Skills Academy network to employers and educational providers. It offers a great opportunity for the industry to work with training professionals to create qualifications which meet the expectations of employers and employees, and to generally engage food and drink manufacturing companies in the learning and skills development process."

Executive director of the NSA, Justine Fosh said: "The food and drink industry is worth £3bn to the Northern Ireland economy and CAFRE is one of the most dynamic training providers in the region, helping to equip the workforce of the future with the skills required to continue its development.

"In its role as Network Champion we hope that CAFRE can act as a beacon for other colleges and universities, as well as helping to engage employers across Northern Ireland."

The NSA in Food and Drink Manufacturing was founded in 2007 by the Food and Drink Sector Skills Council - Improve. It operates through networks of training providers which specialise in particular sectors or disciplines, such as bakery and dairy, or lean manufacturing and automation. Members work collaboratively by also forming national and regional networks, giving companies access to a nationwide resource at a local level. There are currently 16 networks in operation.

In its first full year, the NSA beat its own predictions by training more than 3,500 industry employees and attracting £1 million in public funding. It expects to double learner numbers in its second year.

Log onto the National Skills Academy for Food and Drink Manufacturing at http://www.foodanddrink.nsacademy.co.uk/