The Food Skills Cymru programme, which supports the training of staff within the Welsh food and drink industry, has had its funding extended until the end of November 2022.

Delivered by national qualifications provider Lantra, the programme has supported over 6,000 training days to over 2,000 beneficiaries since April 2019.

Sarah Lewis, project manager for Food Skills Cymru, said that the programme aims to address the skills gaps and technical shortages across the food technology and food safety legislation sectors. She added: “With the funding available for these businesses we can help ensure their employees have the correct skills to thrive in an ever-changing industry that is crucial for the Welsh economy.”

Eligible businesses looking to access the funding available to support with the cost of completing training courses, will firstly work with the Lantra team to help businesses identify and prioritise training needs. A training provider is then chosen from an approved list and assigned to the company.

The amount of funding available for completing courses ranges from 50% to 80%, dependent on the size of the business. To be eligible for support, the business must have a production or manufacturing site located in Wales and be able to show “a clear return on investment following the training.”

More information on the programme can be found on the Food Skills Cymru website.