STORY: Scottish Bakers and CBA in training pledge
An MOU (that’s Memorandum of Understanding to you and I), has been signed by Scottish Bakers/National Food and Drink Training (NFDT) and the Craft Bakers Association (CBA) around the key sector challenge of skills and training.
Why? – So both organisations can maximise their impact and ensure that CBA members paying the government’s apprenticeship levy get the most from their investment.
NFDT is the training arm of Scottish Bakers. Its aim is “to make the food and drink industry more competitive and sustainable through the skills and development of its staff”.
It ensures training for food and drink companies relates exactly to the industry and its products, with courses tailored to meet specific company needs.
The pledge
The two organisations will work together to deliver:
- Transparency on availability of public funding to support the delivery of apprenticeships in the bakery sector, both for levy-paying and non-levy paying businesses
- Present a clear training offer from NFDT to qualifying CBA member businesses
- Present a clear commitment of support from the CBA towards NFDT remaining their training provider of choice.
- Co-operate on identifying and targeting qualifying CBA member businesses seeking to recruit apprentices onto the apprenticeship standards frameworks.
Scottish Bakers chief executive, Alasdair Smith, said: “developing the skills base across not just our sector but across our nation is vital if we are to meet the changing needs of the UK economy, so today’s news is a huge step forward in supporting our industry to develop the skills they need to bring on new talent and invest in the future of our industry.”
The CBA’s director of operations, Karen Dear, added: “Delivering training to the industry and our members is an integral part of the CBA’s strategic plan. Partnering with Scottish Bakers and National Food and Drink Training safeguards both associations’ commitment to their shared goal of skill development within the baking industry.”
