Modern Apprenticeships / SVQs

An introduction to Modern Apprenticeships

Modern Apprenticeships (which include an SVQ qualification) mix industry-recognised qualifications with on-the-job training to give your staff the skills they need in everything from production and operations to more technical and commercial areas of the business.

Not only are they nationally recognised, but they are also government-backed, work-based training programmes which are specifically tailored to meet the skill needs of employers while giving employees the opportunity to achieve a respected qualification.

The right training can help your business improve efficiency, assist with audits such as BRC, ISO, HACCP and Health and Safety, and increase the value of your staff, proving that they are competent in their job whilst boosting morale and increasing staff retention.

Whether you work in fish processing, a fishmongers, fish frying, a bakery, meat processing, an abattoir, butchery, fresh produce, dairy or another type of food and drink manufacturing, there is always a pathway to fit your needs within the modern apprenticeship programme.

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Learning Pathways

A Modern Apprenticeship SCQF Level 5 qualification is a good option for employees who do not have a professional qualification in food and drink, and the majority of their role is not at management level. Alternatively, for employees with some supervisory experience, we can take them through the SCQF Level 5 qualification and also include some SCQF Level 6 Units to help them develop in their supervisory role.

For more senior employees at a management level, we have the SCQF Level 6 in Food and Drink Operations or the Management SCQF Level 7. Candidates undertaking the qualification must also achieve a set of core skills and complete two additional requirements if they have not already achieved them in previous education.

Funding is sometimes available for all ages and is provided by Skills Development Scotland, so there may be no direct cost to you and your employees.

A SCQF Level 5 SVQ qualification requires a candidate to complete eight units, two of which are mandatory.

All of the pathways within an SVQ are relevant to a specific sector in the food and drink industry. This is undertaken in the workplace to assess a candidate’s competence whilst they are doing their job. If we feel an employee is not meeting the required standard, we will work with them to help them achieve this. If you have any specific concerns or areas you want us to focus on, then we can also build this into the programme.

The pathways involved in a Food and Drink operations Level 5 qualification are:

  • Meat and Poultry Skills
  • Fresh Produce Skills
  • Production and Processing Skills
  • Distribution Skills
  • Food Sales and Service Skills
  • Fish and Shellfish Processing Skills
  • Brewing Skills

Mandatory Units:

  • Maintain workplace food safety standards in manufacture
  • Maintain the workplace and health & safety in food manufacture

A Level 6 SVQ qualification requires a candidate to complete eight units, one of which is mandatory.

This tends to be a progression from Level 5 but can be used from the start for candidates who are in a more supervisory or technical role.

This is also undertaken in the workplace and is carried out to assess a candidate’s competence whilst they are doing their job. If we feel an employee is not meeting the required standard, we will work with them to help them achieve this. If you have any specific concerns or areas you want us to focus on, then we can also build this into the programme.

The pathways involved in a Food and Drink operations Level 6 qualification are:

  • Meat and Poultry Skills
  • Supply Chain Skills
  • Food and Drink Operations
  • Fish and Shellfish Industry Skills
  • Spirits Operations
  • “I believe that the whole team have benefitted from this training and I can see the benefits within individuals with regards to their confidence as it has brought out knowledge that before they may have doubted they knew. The online portal used for the training is beneficial as it gives you the flexibility to fix the training around your work schedule and it is easy to use and it is definitely something worth doing for people who have not already done it. I would finally like to thank the trainer for all their help and assistance over the last 12 months getting us over the line”
     
    QHSE Manager, Large Production Company
  • “The SVQ qualification provides the knowledge and skills for employees to be competent in their jobs, in addition to having a recognised qualification. It has improved our staff performance, and aided retention of staff and morale.”  
     
    Factory Manager
  • “We chose Polaris Learning as they are one of the few training providers who offer training workshops as part of the overall Modern Apprenticeship qualification package. We have found working with them to be a good collaborative experience. As Polaris Learning have learned about our business, we have also learned about the standard SVQ units and worked together to adapt the learning materials to be more meaningful to our needs through on-going evaluation with our apprenticeship groups. Together we have been able to work closely to shape the learner journeys for our apprentices, making sure that the learning workshops for each unit not only met the SVQ criteria but match our internal process.”
     
     
    Development Specialist, Glenmorangie
  • “Polaris Learning Ltd provides valuable guidance and support to the employees while putting them through the Modern Apprenticeship qualification. We consistently use the Modern Apprenticeship qualification as we find this a reliable way to recruit and retain committed and qualified employees. We also appreciate the financial help from Skills Development Scotland as well as Polaris Learning’s expertise in our industry.”
     
    Training Manager, Large Production Company

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