Wigan and Leigh College receives rare seal of approval for its food and drink education programmes

It only gained this accolade after a rigorous vetting process from industry experts at the National Skills Academy for Food and Drink (NSAFD) and a range of national businesses.

The college’s ability to deliver the high standards required was recognised along with the training programmes offered to benefit employers in the sector.

It is the only skills provider in Greater Manchester and just the second in the North West region to achieve this honour.

Head of apprenticeships Sarah Boyd said: “We are delighted to join the National Skills Academy. Our accreditation provides a real opportunity to work jointly with the NASFD and our employer partners to meet the skills need of this industry.”

Having invested heavily, the college has developed this specialist strand of its engineering manufacturing provision with the support of local employer Kraft Heinz.

A partnership between the two has seen an expansion of apprenticeship programmes on offer, the development of a bespoke traineeship scheme for care-leavers and an industry-designed higher level programme for the company’s engineers.

Over the previous 12 months, the college has also expanded training opportunities with local employers such as AB World Foods, Food Pro and Greenhalgh’s. It is hoped that the new accreditation will attract a wider range of employers to the borough for skills training.

Wigan and Leigh College principal Anna Dawe said: “This accreditation adds another specialism offered through our Engineering Centre of Excellence. This is the fruition of excellent employer partnership working and provides a much needed specialist skills centre for the North West.”