£2.7m dairy training centre unveiled

Known as Project Eden, the initiative at Reaseheath College in Cheshire has seen employers and trade bodies working with skills specialists with the aim of making the UK a world leader in dairy training. It has also involved the development of a new Foundation Degree in Dairy Technology to train and develop future dairy production managers. The £2.7 million training centre, which was partly funded through a grant from the North West Development Agency, was developed as part of a collaboration between the dairy industry, the National Skills Academy for Food and Drink Manufacturing and the college, will give students the opportunity to hone their skills working with industry standard processing facilities for milk, cheese, yoghurt and butter production, which have been supplied by companies involved in the project. Justine Fosh, director of skills solutions at the National Skills Academy for Food and Drink Manufacturing, said the Academy was a shining example to the rest of the food and drink industry of what can be achieved through collaborating on skills and training. "Virtually all of the big names in the UK dairy industry – Arla, First Milk, Dairy Crest, Robert Wiseman, Müller, Milk Link and trade bodies Dairy UK and the Society of Dairy Technology – have worked together with us and Reaseheath College on this project. They have conceived, funded, equipped and built the training centre, and have already seen the success of the Foundation Degree they played a key role in developing," she said. "Out of the 27 employees enrolled on the Foundation Degree last September, half were taken on by companies specifically to train as production managers, so the scheme has already seen jobs being created. This autumn's intake is close to being fully subscribed, and with this fantastic training centre now open, employers can expect to see even more impressive results." Jens Termansen, supply chain development director at Arla, was one of the key figures at the company to suggest the concept behind Project Eden based on a Danish training model. "This all came about because the dairy industry in the UK was facing serious skills shortages in some critical areas – for example, a severe shortage of qualified dairy technologists," he said. The Eden Academy is the first part of a £6.4 million overhaul of Reaseheath College's food industry training centre. Photo (left to right): Jens Termansen, supply chain development director at Arla, and Dave Kynaston, vice principal of Reaseheath College, are joined by Steven Broomhead, chief executive of the North West Development Agency, at the official opening of the Eden International Dairy Academy.