GUEST COLUMN:
Terry Fennell
CEO
FDQ
Apprenticeships hold the key to skills development in Wales’ food and drink industry. They provide structured training, they help businesses grow their talent from within, and they enable employees to build sustainable, rewarding careers. But while we are seeing success in this area, there is still more that can be done.
At FDQ, we’ve been working with the Welsh Government, colleges, training providers and employers for more than 20 years to develop qualifications and assessment services that meet the needs of businesses in the sector. If you work in food and drink manufacturing in Wales, chances are your qualification has been developed with our input. The skills landscape is constantly evolving, and our role is to ensure that the training on offer reflects what employers actually need.
Last year, the Welsh Government invested £134 million into skills, and food and drink apprenticeships form a key part of this. There are 23 apprenticeship frameworks in place, including one dedicated to food and drink, covering a range of disciplines, from butchery and bakery to production line roles and technical skills. The programme is designed with direct input from employers, ensuring that businesses get the skilled workforce they need.
Yet despite this investment, uptake in food and drink apprenticeships could be higher. The demand is there, but more needs to be done to ensure businesses across the country are engaging with the opportunities available. Many employers still hesitate to take on apprentices, sometimes due to a lack of awareness about the benefits, or concerns about the time and cost involved. But apprenticeships are proven to deliver value. Businesses that take the time to train and develop their staff benefit from greater productivity and improved retention. In fact, 64% of those who complete an apprenticeship remain with their employer long-term. That’s a level of loyalty most businesses would love to achieve.
The food and drink industry has often struggled with perceptions. Many still see it as low-paid, low-skilled, and physically demanding work, but that no longer reflects reality. Modern food manufacturing environments are clean, well-regulated and increasingly technical. Robotics, automation and AI are playing a growing role in production, and digital skills are becoming just as important as traditional craft skills. Green skills are also in demand, as businesses work towards net zero.
A good example of how apprenticeships can support growth is the brewing industry. The apprenticeship framework in England already includes a Level 4 qualification for brewers, which has been highly successful in upskilling employees and supporting the industry. But until now, there was no equivalent in Wales. That’s why we’ve been working with the Welsh Government to develop a Level 4 brewing apprenticeship, which will be introduced next year. It shows how, when employers call for change, the system can respond to meet their needs.
Ultimately, the more employers engage with apprenticeships, the more training providers will invest in delivering them. It’s a case of supply and demand. If businesses in Wales want to see more apprenticeships available in specialist areas, they need to step up and show that there is real appetite for them.
As we look to the future, it’s clear that food and drink will remain one of Wales’ key industries. The sector is resilient, having weathered economic shifts, Brexit, and the pandemic. But to keep it strong, we need to ensure the next generation is equipped with the right skills. That means embracing apprenticeships, developing digital and green skills, and ensuring businesses of all sizes see training as an investment, not a cost.
If we get this right, the food and drink industry in Wales will not just survive – it will thrive.
