The UK's newest Skills Academy - a Government initiative to improve productivity and skills in industry - has launched at Young's in Grimsby.

Technician Chris Howden and shift manager Tina Birks from Young’s are the first food workers in the UK to log onto the new National Skills Academy for Food and Drink Manufacturing, which had its national launch at Young’s today (28 June).

The £4.4million National Skills Academy is a revolutionary project to boost food industry skills. It has been led by employers and co-ordinated by Improve, the food and drink sector skills council, which is based in York.

Chris Banks, chairman of the government’s Learning and Skills Council, was at Young's to officially launch the Academy's online centre , joined by top employers and representatives of seven training establishments throughout the country, which are the first to be accredited as physical Academy Centres.

“The academy is a vital step in meeting the skills challenges that the food and drink manufacturing sector faces,” said Jack Matthews, chief executive of Improve. “It has been designed by employers for employers, and will provide an effective and accessible system to deliver high-quality, relevant training through a mix of online, distance and site-based vocational courses.

“Young’s was invited to host the launch event as the company is one of the country’s biggest employers in the food and drink manufacturing sector. It has already established a leading reputation for investment in skills and has a superb working relationship with Grimsby Institute of Further and Higher Education, which has been accredited as an Academy Centre. Young’s has also played a key role in the academy’s development and its HR director Ellen Cockburn is to join the first governing board of the academy.”

Already, more than 200 employees throughout England have signed up to courses offered through the academy, but Chris and Tina are the first to register online. They will study Production Management: a Lean Approach, a course designed specifically for the academy by Grimsby Institute. Already a further 35 Young’s employees are set to benefit from the academy after the launch, having signed up to undertake a new management training course specifically aimed at encouraging more women into management roles.

Wynne Griffiths, Young’s chief executive, said: “I firmly believe that the National Skills Academy will play a major role in helping to ensure that our employees have the knowledge and skills needed to maintain and strengthen the our global position as a leading food company and fish specialist..”

Skills Minister Phil Hope said: “National Skills Academies are a key feature of our commitment to raising productivity and giving employers a real stake in skills training. They offer employers, in return for their investment, the opportunity to exercise direct influence over both content and delivery of skills training in their sector.”

“I would like to congratulate Improve and sector employers including Young’s Seafood, Northern Foods, Arla Dairies, Moy Park, Britvic and many more for successfully bringing the NSA for Food and Drink Manufacturing to this successful launch. Delivering the business plan will make a major contribution to up-skilling our nation. I wish the NSA for Food and Drink Manufacturing every success in the future.”

The Skills Academy for Food and Drink Manufacturing can be accessed by logging on to www.foodanddrink.nsacademy.co.uk.