The University of Aberdeen has secured £2.1 million from the Scottish Funding Council's University Transformation Framework to pilot a new approach to flexible education while creating new skills and career opportunities across the North East's food, drink and agriculture sector.
The project will develop and test flexible learning and skills pathways that make it easier for people to gain qualifications, build new skills and progress their careers through shorter, stackable learning opportunities that can fit around work and other commitments. Designed to support lifelong learning, the initiative will create more flexible routes into education for school pupils, career changers and those looking to upskill or reskill throughout their working lives.
The food, drink and agriculture sector is one of the region's largest and most diverse employers, supporting more than 22,000 jobs across agriculture, food manufacturing, fishing and drinks production. As the industry responds to technological change, sustainability challenges and evolving workforce needs, the project aims to help address skills gaps while supporting the development of homegrown talent across the sector.
Working in partnership with SRUC, Food and Drink Federation Scotland and a wide network of regional organisations, the University will develop and test a collaborative model that connects employers, learners and education providers in new ways. The project will also work closely with Aberdeen City Council, Aberdeenshire Council and other regional partners to improve access to learning opportunities, strengthen links between education and employment, and widen participation among groups that may face barriers to further study.
The project will:
Work with employers and learners to identify priority skills and shape learning pathways.
Develop an online platform to help learners discover courses and progression routes across participating providers.
Create flexible, stackable learning opportunities, including short courses and work-based learning.
Focus on skills essential to the sector's future, including digital and data literacy, sustainability, quality and compliance, while embedding transferable skills that support career progression across the wider supply chain.
Improve access for a wide range of learners, including rural communities, people already in work and those who may face barriers to education.
Bring together partners including Aberdeen City Council, Aberdeenshire Council, Developing the Young Workforce North East, Food and Drink Federation Scotland, Opportunity North East, Skills Development Scotland and SRUC Innovation.
By bringing together employers, educators and regional partners, the initiative will also explore skills needs linked to emerging industries and technologies that are expected to play an increasingly important role in the future of food production, helping ensure the region's workforce is prepared for future opportunities.
The first stage will involve a co-design process with employers, learners and partner organisations to shape the learning pathways and identify priority areas for development. Further information on learning opportunities and routes for participation will be announced as the programme develops.
Jo-Anne Murray, Vice-Principal (Education) at the University of Aberdeen, said: "This funding allows us to work with employers, learners and partners to explore a different approach to higher education, one that is more flexible, responsive and better aligned with the realities of modern working lives.
"Food, drink and agriculture is an ideal sector in which to pilot this approach because of its importance to the regional economy and the pace of change it is experiencing.
"This project will help us test new approaches to flexible, stackable learning that could inform higher education provision more broadly in the future."
Professor Wayne Powell, Principal and Chief Executive of SRUC, said: “We are delighted to be involved in this important project within a key North-East industry. The educational landscape is changing and we should increasingly stop thinking of universities and colleges simply as places which people attend at only one stage of their lives. We are now seeing greater demand from people of different ages – from various backgrounds and with different commitments – to access new opportunities and learn new skills which, in turn, will benefit local businesses and the wider economy.”
Helen Cross, SFC Director of Investment and Research, said: “This project demonstrates the innovative and collaborative approach we want to support through the University Transformation Framework. By bringing the University of Aberdeen, SRUC, employers and regional partners together, it will create more flexible pathways for learners while helping to deliver the skills Scotland’s food, drink and agriculture sectors need now and in the future.”