Boost in food and drink modern apprenticeships

Mr Russell was speaking at the Royal Highland Show in Edinburgh where he outlined the importance of skills development within the sector, particularly during the Year of Food and Drink, to strengthen Scotland's workforce and economic recovery. Skills Development Scotland supported 650 MAs in food manufacture, agricultural crops and livestock, bakery and the meat industry from April 2009 to March 2010. This compared to a total of 49 MAs the previous year. Mr Russell said: "The Scottish Government has launched a Year of Food and Drink in partnership with Scottish tourism businesses in a national drive to promote Scotland as a land of food and drink. We know that £1 in every £5 spent by a tourist in Scotland is on food and drink related activity and Scotland Food and Drink has a target to grow the industry to £12.5 billion by 2017. "It is therefore paramount that we have a competitive workforce, equipped with the right skills, to match the potential and ambition of the sector. This is why Skills Development Scotland last year delivered a 13-fold increase in the amount of MAs in the sector."