Introductory content
There are graduate and postgraduate courses offered by academic institutions. A few of the undergraduate courses are listed here on Food and Drink Manufacturing website. These courses provide the basic science and practical knowledge to become a professional in the food sector. But do not cover all the skills that may be required for all food and beverage roles. There are no bespoke roles but they continue to evolve according to demand in food and agriculture sector.
After studying the food-related courses, some graduates find themselves in different sectors to what they have studied but still being able to apply their knowledge and skill competently. For example, a food science graduate could take up a role in food photography who will have a knowledge gap in the photograph. Food science graduate with sensory science knowledge can take up a role in fashion, textile, or personal products as the sensory science skills are transferrable to non-food sectors.
A nutrition graduate taking up a role of food journalism, writing articles for magazines, or food and nutrition broadcasting. The CPD courses are there to bridge the knowledge gap and they are offered by different organisations for a nominal fee or free.
Quality
There is help in training individuals or employees on improving quality and food safety. The courses range from food hygiene and food safety, Hazard analysis critical control points (HACCP), Threat Assessment critical control points (TACCP), and Vulnerability Assessment Critical Control Points (VACCP) more information is available at Global Food Safety; quality assurance and control courses such as Six Sigma and Lean Sigma qualifications, texture analysis and and sensory science.
Sensory Science
Sensory evaluation of products is key to the acceptability of products (food and non-food included). The Institute of Food Science and Technology accredits a number of sensory science short courses (Foundation, Intermediate, and Advanced). These are delivered by a number of organisations which include academic institutions and private organisations. The information about accredited providers of the short courses is available on the IFST website. For those interested in the one day Sensory Science Foundation course, contact us for more details.
Food and beverage
Some food science courses do not cover in-depth knowledge on new product development. Some of the staff might have been trained through internships or apprenticeships. This is due to the complexity of the topics which need to be covered to be able to understand the holistic picture of the food and agriculture sector.
There are not enough hours to cover all the information. Therefore, the graduate will be bound to have some sort of knowledge gap(s) depending on the role they have landed on in the food sector. The sector is very diverse in product development (plant-based products, dairy, meat, insects, and other animal or microbial cell-based foods) of foods and drinks (alcoholic, non-alcoholic, smoothies, beverages(hot and cold), party cocktails(mixology), and cuisines (molecular gastronomy). If interested in any of these short training courses contact us and will be able to help you identify course providers.
Professional Practice
During the mainstream course training, the graduates have opportunities of doing internships, short placements, and long placements (9 months to 14 months). They will learn other soft skills such as time management, dealing with customers, business to business communications. On the other hand, these placements are limited. They might not offer other skills such as client consultation (nutritionist), marketing, financial, and sales skills, and negotiations of deals. These skills are very key in situations where the graduate might be employed by Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs) and their role could encompass several disciplines. Most of these disciplines are not covered by the food courses. The graduates would need to do the short courses to bridge the knowledge gap.
The roles of the graduate change during career progression. They are bound to be involved media marketing the organisation’s brands and also learning how to use the different methods of communicating information to the consumers. These skills are very vital. But will never be obtained in one course or training. Hence, the short courses have been designed for continual personal development (CPD). The graduates would need to do a swot analysis and identify their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT). They will then need to devise a training program to improve themselves for their role or career progressions.
Photography
Photography is a very diverse discipline and very much used by a number of professionals to communicate information with consumers. Food bloggers and influencers share a lot of their information like images or photos. But this tends to demand a certain level of understanding of the field to market food online, billboards, or social media. Food photography and its application in producing marketing material are very influential in affecting consumer perception and acceptance of food products.
Conclusion
Learning and acquiring knowledge in mainstream courses only initiate the process of continuous learning. When you get a job and chosen your career path that is when you do short courses to gain more knowledge and plugging the knowledge gaps. Short courses training is as vital as mainstream learning. However, it is only in small bite sizes while practicing what you have learned on the job. Do your SWOT analysis, identify your knowledge gaps and contact us for more support. Please visit our website to learn more about training courses. If you have found this article helpful, please leave a comment below.