Landmark for food manufacturing skills as
OAL assessment confirms Premier Foods’
apprentices are first to make the grade
Five Premier Foods apprentices have being very much on quality,” said Justine
become trailblazers in the truest sense Fosh, Group Chief Executive for OAL and
of the word by becoming the first ever the recognised skills body for the UK, the
to undertake End Point Assessment National Skills Academy for Food & Drink
(EPA) for the Level 3 Advanced Food & (NSAFD).
Drink Process Operator Apprenticeship
Standard. Following a comprehensive
apprenticeship programme, including
extensive on-the-job and off-the-job
training, specialist Food and Drink End
Point Assessment Organisation (EPAO),
Occupational Awards Limited (OAL) has
confirmed the successful completion of
EPA and therefore achievement of their
apprenticeships by all five apprentices.
The apprentices will now receive
formal certification of their success
from the Institute for Apprenticeships,
the independent body responsible
for maintaining the quality of
apprenticeships.
Thomas Hawkridge (20), Rowan Kenny
(21), Mitchell Lax (24), Antonia Oakley (21)
and Christopher O’Grady (22) also gained
OAL’s OFQUAL-regulated Level 3 Diploma
in Food and Drink Operations, broadly
equivalent to A Levels, as an integral part
of their apprenticeship journey.
“Their achievement is all the more notable
in signaling the first fruits of food and
drink manufacturing’s drive to shape the
apprenticeship reform agenda around
the industry’s true needs with the focus
“Supported by the Academy, food and drink
manufacturing was quick off the mark
in collaborating to revise core industry
apprenticeship standards and ensure their
combined alignment with the spread of
knowledge and skills businesses really want.
Premier Foods was among the first to
pioneer use of the resulting apprenticeships
— getting on board with this first pilot
group just before the Apprenticeship Levy
was actually introduced.”
OAL has now incorporated an End
Point Assessment Experience Day into
its information support available for
businesses with Level 3 apprenticeships
nearing completion.
“We went to great lengths to ensure the
Assessment wasn’t obtrusive or disruptive
to the normal working patterns of the site
or the candidates,” said OAL Group Chief
Executive Justine Fosh. “As with anything
Premier Foods currently has 80
apprenticeships underway across various
areas of its business. The two-year Level
3 training programme for the Advanced
Operator Apprenticeship was delivered by
specialist training company CQM Training
& Consultancy Ltd who have been on the
NSAFD’s register of industry-approved
training providers for over 10 years.
new, we think it is important for everyone
to understand exactly what is involved.
We are more than happy to hear from any
food or drink company that believes they,
or their apprentices, might benefit from
hearing more of the fine detail of how the
Premier Foods
www.premierfoods.co.uk
assessment is undertaken.”
FDPP - www.fdpp.co.uk 35