FOOD education partners from across Scotland convened last week to discuss education, skills, and collaboration in the food and drink industry.
The meeting, hosted by Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) and Food and Drink Federation (FDF) Scotland, was attended by stakeholders from across the industry. The participants were eager to explore avenues for improving food and farming education opportunities, promoting skills development and advocating for careers within the sector.
Gerry McBride, from Skills Development Scotland (SDS), set the scene by highlighting the priorities for Scotland Food & Drink Skills. One of those priorities was the urgent need to secure a steady stream of skilled employees to ensure the long-term sustainability of the industry. Emma Henderson, a member of the Good Food Nation team discussed the work her team are doing to work with industry to ensure the Good Food Nation helps support this.
Tracy Johnston, Senior Education Officer Health & Wellbeing, and Justin Thomas from Developing the Young Workforce discussed the key challenges facing both the food and drink industry and those working in education.
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Following the speakers, attendees were divided into groups to discuss collaboration opportunities. By working together, the aim is to forge a stronger future for food and drink education in Scotland, preparing the next generation to thrive in the sector and contributing to its continued growth and success.
Jennifer Robertson, Health and Education Manager at Quality Meat Scotland, said: “We are delighted with the success of the meeting we hosted alongside Food and Drink Federation (FDF) Scotland which has brought together food education partners from across Scotland.
“The enthusiastic participation and engagement from attendees showcased the shared dedication to enhancing education, skills, and collaboration within the industry. We believe that by improving food and farming education opportunities, promoting skill development, and fostering rewarding careers, we can build a stronger future for our sector.”
Moira Stalker, Skills Manager at Food & Drink Federation (FDF) Scotland, added: “We were delighted that the food education partners were able to meet face to face again to share our many achievements and to explore future plans and the opportunities for collaboration.
There were many common themes arising from our discussions, including supporting awareness and understanding of what the food industry does and its journey to becoming more sustainable. By working together, we can achieve so much more and really support educators to deliver the curriculum using food as a context for learning to raise students’ awareness of all aspects of the industry, but we need the support of the industry to help us achieve this.”
For more information visit: www.foodeducationscotland.scot
