11 Mar 2010 --- Research published by international food and grocery expert IGD, has found that 80% of food manufacturers and retailers expect to increase their training and development budget per head over the next ten years.

The research will be unveiled by Joanne Denney-Finch, Chief Executive, IGD, at the Employment and Skills Summit in London. Other findings from the research include:

• One fifth (19%) of companies expect their training and development budget to increase by more than 25%
• 'Leadership' was a top priority for over half (55%) of the companies questioned, when asked what the key areas were for skills development in their businesses
• When asked to predict how the balance of in-house versus externally delivered training will have changed by 2020, answers were evenly split between 'more in-house' (32%), 'no change' (30%), and 'more external' (32%)    
Joanne Denney-Finch, Chief Executive, IGD comments: “Food is the largest manufacturing industry. In Britain, the food industry is truly world class. It is recognised in every country as a centre of excellence for its operating standards, consumer focus and pace of innovation. Along the chain, we employ 3.6m people - that’s one in seven of the workforce. Even in tough times, it's crucial for companies to keep investing in skills and harness the talent and energy of a new generation. This will be an exceptionally challenging decade and the future is in our hands."

The event brings together key decision makers from food and grocery to address the issues of unemployment and wasted skills potential in the UK. Other speakers at the event include:
• Rt. Hon Yvette Cooper MP
• Lord Freud
• Justin King - Sainsbury’s
• Andy Clarke - Asda
• Lucy Neville-Rolfe – Tesco

The Summit will cover three central themes:
1. Skills gaps - what will the food industry need from the education system in the future?
2. Youth employment – what can the food sector do to give young people a chance?
3. Staff development – how can food companies equip their people with skills for a new era?

Justin King, chief executive of Sainsbury's and president of the IGD will use his speech at the IGD Food & Grocery Industry Skills & Employment Summit to announce the creation of the UK's first supermarket bakery college.

He will also highlight the lack of recognition the grocery industry receives as a source of economic growth and a provider of skills and employment.

The college, in Wellingborough, has been created in partnership with flour supplier, Whitworth, and is based on site at one of Whitworth's bakeries. The new facility will speed colleagues through NVQ training in half the time it currently takes, reducing the time from 12 months to 6 months, meaning qualified bakers will be sent into stores more quickly. College training will be available to everyone who works in the bakery, not just apprentices.

In his speech, King will say: "The college will get more qualified bakers into our stores more quickly, which will improve the quality of our offer at the same time as providing our colleagues with the skills they need to carve out a long and rewarding career in retail.

"This is just one of many initiatives through which we provide our colleagues with skills and training.

"We believe that the investment in our bakery colleagues will enable them to continue to deliver the fantastic quality and high level of customer service our shoppers expect."

Justin will also use the speech to celebrate the work that grocery retailers and manufacturers have already undertaken to spearhead economic growth and create jobs.

He will say: "The food industry could be the cornerstone of job creation and economic growth over the coming decade. Collectively, the total food chain already employs 3.6 million people - that's one job in every seven in the UK. Food and grocery represents almost half of all retail sales and food is the biggest manufacturing sector.

"Companies like Sainsbury's will continue to invest in the skills of tomorrow, but we also need help from the education system.

"So as planners and policy makers look to the future and develop ways to reinvigorate the UK economy, they ought to have food industry at the front of their minds.

"We have a, world class food industry at every stage of the chain, well placed to benefit from the opportunities arising in a fast changing global marketplace."