Advanced training partnerships

The call for proposals is closed

Next application deadline: TBC

Summary

These partnerships are sustainable formal collaborations between users and providers of high–level skills in the agri–food sector, bringing together companies with research and training organisations. Such partnerships are vital for ensuring that the UK continues to make significant contributions towards national and global food security, through the supply of individuals with the right skills.

Four partnerships have been awarded a total of £12M with each one operating under the leadership of an academic institution. Each programme will focus on a particular research area, and the four are complementary, covering the full range of food production from soil to plate.

The training will be delivered flexibly to ensure that specialist staff from a widest range of companies can benefit. This will include distance learning, short–courses, work–based training, research placements and secondments. Training modules can be built into full masters degrees, and partnerships will also be developing professional doctorates in agricultural and food sciences.

Dissemnination event

The event was held at the Wellcome Collection, London on 12 July 2011. It provided key stakeholders an opportunity to meet with the funded partnerships to learn more about the training available through the ATPs.

Presentations from the event can be found below:

Partnership details

Sustainable and efficient food production

Led by the Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Science (IBERS) at Aberystwyth University, with Bangor University, the National Institute of Agricultural Botany, and a number of industrial partners.

This training partnership will look to address the high–level skills needs of pasture based agriculture in the UK, focusing on increasing efficiency and reducing environmental impact of extensive beef, sheep and dairy farming.

Establishment of a strategic training hub for the advancement of the UK agri–food industry

Led by the University of Nottingham with Harper Adams University College, Cranfield University, Rothamsted Research, and a number of industrial partners.

This programme has been designed in response to feedback from industry about training needs and will be flexible and responsive, spanning the entire agri–food chain, including soils, water, crops, animals, post–harvest, food and nutrition. The aim is to provide participants with lifelong membership of a vibrant community of colleagues in industry and academia, enabling them to obtain a wide range of technical and contextual skills that can be deployed for maximum impact across the chain.

Food quality and health – Sustaining the future

Led by the University of Reading with Rothamsted Research, University of Birmingham, Leatherhead Food Research, and a number of other industrial partners.

This partnership brings together experts working on the food chain from production to consumption, from academia and industry, focused on delivering high quality and real–world relevant training for the food and production industries.

Advanced training in intensive livestock health and production

Led by the Royal Veterinary College with University of Cambridge, University of Newcastle, University of Edinburgh and a number of industrial partners.

This consortium will focus on the pig and poultry industry, to provide specialist training to veterinarians as well as other animal scientists working in this sector.

External contact

Aberystwyth
Professor Charles Newbold
cjn@aber.ac.uk

Nottingham
Professor Jeremy Roberts
jeremy.roberts@nottingham.ac.uk

Reading
Lead: Professor Christine Williams
Contact: Doctor Richard Frazier
r.a.frazier@reading.ac.uk

Royal Veterinary College
Professor Stephen May
smay@rvc.ac.uk

Contact

Adam Bowen - Advanced Training Partnerships
atp@bbsrc.ac.uk
tel: 01793 411486
fax: 01793 414674