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

我们的ATP涵盖了整个农业食品行业，包括来自领先研究型大学/机构的合作伙伴：诺丁汉大学（在2008年研究评估活动中排名第一）；农业，食品和兽医科学)，克兰菲尔德大学（占英国农业和环境部门全日制研究生的25%），哈珀亚当斯大学学院（英国领先的陆上高等教育学院）和洛桑研究所（英国最大的农业研究中心）。因此，在这个联盟中，我们拥有互补的研究专业知识和经验，可以提供从持续专业发展课程到研究学位的所有级别的培训。我们的职业培训计划的广泛性质和结构将使学员能够选择跨行业的培训。例如，从事新鲜农产品工作的个人可能希望选择作物生产模块以及食品质量，食品安全和商业管理。这种综合办法将使我们能够对工业需要作出反应，并在这种培训中提供创新性交叉喂养的潜力。我们的行业合作伙伴的一个共同主题是，毕业生高度专业化，但也在行业内流动，并将受益于对农业食品行业更广泛的了解（例如，Bakkavor回应说，ATP将提供“跨技能课程的机会，为关键的食品行业角色”）。我们将在整个农业食品供应链中，包括土壤、水、作物、动物、收获后、食品和营养，建立灵活、反应迅速的高级培训伙伴关系。来自工业界的反馈表明了对这种整体观点的需求，因为现代农业食品工业并不局限于特定的“部门”。我们的目标是利用高等教育（HE）合作伙伴的科学和教学专业知识，以及BBSRC和其他资助机构的科学成果，为广泛的基于工作的学习者提供服务，这将包括并实现“CPD到博士”的发展。我们提供的全面服务将使参与者成为ATP的终身会员，享受属于一个充满活力的行业和学术界同事社区的好处，并获得广泛的技术和相关技能，这些技能可以在整个链条中发挥最大的影响。本会将联同适当的征款机构及其他在提供培训方面有经验的同事，举办为期一天的课程、工作坊及会议。这将尽量减少与现有服务的重叠，并使我们能够集中资源，发展更有效的培训。将以多种形式提供有关正式资格的培训。来自业界的反馈表明，灵活性是必不可少的，因此将通过密集的教学模块、基于工作的模块和电子学习来提供模块。对于那些决定攻读硕士、硕士或博士学位的学生，研究项目将在雇主和学术合作伙伴的共同监督下进行。将在ATP内提供灵活期限的工业界和学术界实习机会（知识交流伙伴关系）。这些实习可能是“独立的”，也可能是为攻读硕士或博士学位的学生提供的研究培训实习。合作伙伴拥有管理学术/行业联合研究学位课程的经验，例如通过CASE奖项。学费助学金将提供给目前受雇于农业食品部门的个人。在合作的前3年，奖学金将支付100%的课程费用，行业提供员工时间和差旅费。从第四年开始，学费助学金的水平将逐渐减少，每年的课程费用中，工业界的贡献比例将越来越大。因此，我们设计了一个财务模式，以确保ATP在资助期后的长期可持续发展。

Our ATP encompasses the entire agri-food sector and includes partners from leading research-based universities/institutions: University of Nottingham (top in the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise in Panel 16: Agriculture, Food and Veterinary Science), Cranfield University (which accounts for 25% of the UK's full-time postgraduates in the agriculture and environment sector), Harper Adams University College (the UK's leading land-based HE college) and Rothamsted Research (the largest agricultural research centre in the UK). Therefore, within this consortium, we have both complementary research expertise and experience in offering all levels of training within the sector from CPD courses to research degrees. The wide-ranging nature and structure of our ATP will enable participants to select training across the sectors. For example, an individual working in fresh produce might wish to select modules in crop production alongside food quality, food safety and business management. Such an integrative approach will enable us to respond to industry need, and offer the potential for innovative cross-feeding in such training. A common theme from our industry partners was that graduates are highly specialised, but also mobile within the industry, and would benefit from a wider understanding of the agri-food sector (e.g. Bakkavor responded that the ATP would provide an 'opportunity for cross-skilling courses for key food sector roles'). We will develop a flexible and responsive Advanced Training Partnership spanning the entire agri-food supply chain, including soils, water, crops, animals, post-harvest, food and nutrition. Feedback from industry has demonstrated the demand for such an holistic view, as the modern agri-food industry is not confined to particular 'sectors'. We aim to harness the scientific and teaching expertise of higher-education (HE) partners with scientific outputs from the BBSRC and other funding bodies, to deliver to a wide cohort of work-based learners, that will encompass and enable a 'CPD to PhD' progression. Our comprehensive offer will enable participants to become life-long members of the ATP, enjoy the benefits of belonging to a vibrant community of colleagues in industry and academia, and obtain a wide range of technical and contextual skills that can be deployed for maximum impact across the chain. One-day courses, workshops and conferences will be organised in association with the appropriate levy bodies and other consortium colleagues who are experiences in delivery of training. This will minimise overlap with existing provision and allow us to pool resources to develop more effective training. Training towards formal qualifications will be delivered in a number of formats. Feedback from industry has shown that flexibility is essential, hence modules will be offered via intensive blocks of teaching, work-based modules and e-learning. For those who decide to pursue an MSc, MRes or Doctorate, the research project will be based in industry with joint supervision from the employer and an academic partner. Placements in industry and academia, of flexible duration (Knowledge Exchange Partnerships) will be offered within the ATP. These may be 'stand alone' or research training placements for those undertaking MSc or Doctoral studies. Partners have experinence of managing joint academe/industry research degree programmes through, for example, CASE awards. Fee bursaries will be offered for individuals currently employed in the agri-food sector. In the first 3 years of the partnership, the bursaries will cover 100% of the course fee, with industry contributing staff time and travel expenses. From year 4 onwards, the level of the fee bursaries will gradually reduce, with industry contributing a greater proportion towards the course fees each year. We have thus designed a financial model that will ensure long-term sustainability of the ATP beyond the grant period.