University of Aberdeen Secures £2.1m for Flexible Education in Food and Drink Sector
New initiative aims to boost skills and career opportunities across North East Scotland's vital food, drink, and agriculture industries.
By Kirsty Lennox
••4 min read
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Generic image of Scottish food and drink products on a table.
The University of Aberdeen has secured £2.1 million from the Scottish Funding Council's University Transformation Framework to pilot a new approach to flexible education, aiming to create new skills and career opportunities within the North East's food, drink, and agriculture sector.
The project will develop and test flexible learning and skills pathways designed to make it easier for individuals to gain qualifications, build new skills, and progress their careers through shorter, stackable learning opportunities that can accommodate work and other commitments. This initiative is intended to support lifelong learning by creating more adaptable routes into education for school pupils, career changers, and those seeking to upskill or reskill throughout their working lives.
The food, drink, and agriculture sector is a significant and varied employer in the region, supporting over 22,000 jobs across agriculture, food manufacturing, fishing, and drinks production. In response to technological advancements, sustainability challenges, and evolving workforce demands, the project seeks to address skills gaps and foster the development of homegrown talent within the sector.
In collaboration with SRUC, Food and Drink Federation Scotland, and a broad network of regional organisations, the University will develop and trial a collaborative model connecting employers, learners, and education providers. The project will also engage with Aberdeen City Council, Aberdeenshire Council, and other regional partners to enhance access to learning, strengthen education-employment links, and increase participation among groups facing educational barriers.
Key project activities include identifying priority skills and shaping learning pathways in consultation with employers and learners, developing an online platform for course discovery, and creating flexible, stackable learning opportunities such as short courses and work-based learning. The focus will be on essential future skills like digital and data literacy, sustainability, and quality compliance, alongside transferable skills for career progression.
The initiative aims to improve access for diverse learners, including those in rural communities, individuals already in employment, and those facing educational barriers. Partners involved include Developing the Young Workforce North East, Opportunity North East, and Skills Development Scotland.
By uniting employers, educators, and regional partners, the project will also investigate skills needs related to emerging industries and technologies crucial for the future of food production, ensuring the region's workforce is prepared for upcoming opportunities. The initial phase will involve a co-design process with stakeholders to shape learning pathways and identify development priorities. Further details on learning opportunities will be announced as the programme progresses.
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"This funding allows us to work with employers, learners and partners to explore a different approach to higher education, one that is more flexible, responsive and better aligned with the realities of modern working lives."
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"Food, drink and agriculture is an ideal sector in which to pilot this approach because of its importance to the regional economy and the pace of change it is experiencing."
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"This project will help us test new approaches to flexible, stackable learning that could inform higher education provision more broadly in the future."
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"We are delighted to be involved in this important project within a key North-East industry. The educational landscape is changing and we should increasingly stop thinking of universities and colleges simply as places which people attend at only one stage of their lives. We are now seeing greater demand from people of different ages – from various backgrounds and with different commitments – to access new opportunities and learn new skills which, in turn, will benefit local businesses and the wider economy."
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"This project demonstrates the innovative and collaborative approach we want to support through the University Transformation Framework. By bringing the University of Aberdeen, SRUC, employers and regional partners together, it will create more flexible pathways for learners while helping to deliver the skills Scotland’s food, drink and agriculture sectors need now and in the future."
