Good news for the future of the packaging industry this week after it was confirmed that at least one new university-based degree apprenticeship course is due to be launched next year.

The new degree-level Packaging Professional apprenticeship standard has been designed by key organisations from within the food and packaging industries, including Premier Foods and Bakkavor, and is being chaired by the Head of Packaging for Confectionery at Nestlé’s Product Technology Centre, Bruce Funnell. Its primary focus will be to ensure apprentices have a fully-formed understanding of packaging design, as well as the business side of the industry.

Funnell said: “There is a severe shortage of people with the necessary skills in packaging. There just aren’t enough of them coming through the education system, partly because packaging is not seen as a career of choice.”

Previous courses have typically been designed by educationalists, rather than employers, resulting in them failing to attract enough students. However, it is hoped that the collaborative approach with which the new standard has been designed will buck this trend and provide the foundation on which a long-term standard can be established.

At TrakRap, we’re glad to see that high quality courses specifically aimed at packaging professionals haven’t been written off. Ensuring a new generation is ready to step up to the plate and prevent any potential skills gap occurring within the industry is vital to ensure its ongoing success.