This initiative was brought about due to the dairy industries reliance on buying in expertise and the lack of focus on ‘homegrown’ dairy technology from both employers and training providers. Whilst each industry had been experiencing this, it was only when the industry came together that they identified the shared need.
The idea was shared amongst industry colleagues in July 2008 and within 2 years the degree was designed, £7.4m of funding secured and a brand new facility built had been commissioned – a state-of-the-art training facility designed by industry and joint funded by industry and government.
Project Eden initially involved 6 major dairy companies in the UK (Arla Foods, Dairy Crest, First Milk, Milk Link, Müller, Robert Wiseman Dairies) working together to develop a bespoke Foundation Degree in Dairy Technology that could be delivered in the brand new training facility. And by the beginning of September 2014 the program will have seen nearly 100 people commence training.
The collaborative approach ensures that partnerships are able to work at many levels from industry, training provision and suppliers. This approach is building and maintaining a strong UK dairy industry, and will shortly be expanded to incorporate a dairy engineering program – with logistics and supply chain planned to follow suit.
For full details on Eden, please contact Emily Fisher via email at emily.fisher@reaseheath.ac.uk