Chief executive of the learning and skills Council (LSC) Mark Haysom has praised the University of Lincoln’s specialist food technology and manufacturing centre following a visit to talk to its staff and local employers.
Haysom was given a tour of the facilities at the Holbeach campus and took part in a discussion about the integration of further and higher education to improve progression within the industry, and he praised the centre's work.
“I’m hugely impressed by the centre and have enjoyed the opportunity to talk to so many learners. It’s fantastic to see the commitment from the students, staff and employers.
“I’m interested from employers’ perspective how further education can operate at different levels from foundation to postgraduate and in different ways to meet their needs. This centre is an interesting model of that.”
Among those present were the LSC area director for Lincolnshire and Rutland, Nick Rashley; chair for the LSC Lincolnshire and Rutland, Roger Begy; regional director of LSC East Midlands, Verity Bullough; George Adams’ Group personnel director, Gerry Kingston; head of the manufacturing excellence team at Geest Ltd, Sean Stuart; and Mike Thompson, HR manager at QV Foods and Steve Green, operations manager at QV Foods.
They also spoke about how the LSC funds education and training and how its ‘agenda for change’ will affect FE colleges and employers.
Val Braybrooks, director of the Holbeach campus, said: “With Government funding currently prioritising training for young people, this was strategically a very important visit as it has helped to raise the profile of our work with employers and the challenges faced by the sector in respect to skills development for adults.
“Raising awareness at this level is very important as it promotes understanding and cohesion between key stakeholders and decision makers which will ultimately reap greater benefit to the sector.”
No comments yet