The collaboration between Kraft Heinz, Avara Foods, Pickstock and Telford College is an interesting development in how the UK food and drink sector can future‑proof its engineering workforce.

The new Level 3 Food and Drink Maintenance Engineering apprenticeship directly responds to a structural problem: traditional engineering pathways have drifted toward mechatronics, leaving behind the hands‑on skills food and drink factories rely on daily. By reinstating machining, welding and electrical maintenance — and teaching them in a food‑safe environment — the programme fills a gap that manufacturers have been struggling with for years.

This is not generic engineering. It is sector‑specific, built around the realities of stainless‑steel lines, hygiene‑critical materials and the pace of modern food production. That specificity is what makes it valuable.

Who benefits?
Manufacturers gain access to engineers trained for their environment, reducing recruitment pressure and improving retention.

Apprentices receive a clearer, more relevant route into a sector that offers long‑term careers, competitive salaries and progression.

The region benefits from a stronger talent pipeline supporting a sector worth £2.4bn in GVA to the West Midlands.

The wider industry gains a model for collaborative skills development that could be replicated nationally.

A partnership model the trade can learn from

The most important lesson is how the apprenticeship was built: employers defined the skills, the college listened, and the programme was shaped around real operational needs. This is a shift away from one‑size‑fits‑all training and towards co‑designed, industry‑ready learning.

In a sector facing an ageing engineering workforce, competition from larger employers and persistent multi‑skilled shortages, this partnership approach may be the only sustainable way forward. It ensures training keeps pace with technology, regulation and production demands — and it gives manufacturers a direct voice in shaping the future workforce.

A sign of what’s coming next

With Telford College already offering bolt‑on training through Apprenticeship Plus, and with manufacturers signalling strong demand, this initiative could spark similar collaborations across the UK. The food and drink industry has long said it needs engineers with the right skills; this is a tangible example of how to deliver them.

If the trade is looking for a model to emulate, this could be it.

• Rodney Jack, editor, Food & Drink Technology. Keep in touch via email: [email protected] X: @foodanddrinktec or LinkedIn: Food & Drink Technology magazine.