Case Studies
Bringing Food Technology to Life: Inside CQM’s Food Industry Technologist Level 3 Programme
Bringing Food Technology to Life: Inside CQM’s Food Industry Technologist Level 3 Programme
Food and drink manufacturing brings together science, quality, innovation, process and people in a fast-moving, highly practical environment.
CQM’s Food Industry Technologist Level 3 apprenticeship has been designed to reflect exactly that, bringing together apprentices from organisations across the UK to develop technical capability through applied learning, industry insight and shared experience.
The video success story below captures that experience brilliantly. Hear directly from apprentices on programme from Dunbia Group and Lionel Hitchen, alongside perspectives from one of Harper Adams University senior lecturers, Lucy Catley, and industry experienced Development Coach at CQM, Richard Everitt, as they share how practical workshops, industry focussed delivery and open cohort peer learning help bring food technology to life.
To find out more about the Food Industry Technologist Level 3 Apprenticeship
A Practical and Accessible Approach to Food Technology Development
The Food Industry Technologist Level 3 apprenticeship has been designed to meet the needs of food and drink manufacturers, empowering apprentices to deliver exceptional quality and compliance across new and existing product development, process improvement, health and safety, innovation and so much more.
The CQM delivery structure combines:
- accessible live online interactive workshops
- workplace and practical application, with real world examples and peer learning
- one-to-one coaching support from industry-experienced development coaches
- practical food sessions designed to embed learning through hands-on activity using state of the art facilitiesÂ
- open cohorts bringing together apprentices from a diverse range of food and drink manufacturers
This creates a learning experience that feels connected to real manufacturing environments and the wider food and drink landscape.
Practical Sessions That Elevate the Learning Experience
The practical workshops delivered at Harper Adams University form an important part of the wider CQM programme experience.
These sessions give apprentices the opportunity to explore topics including food safety, microbiology, sensory evaluation, product quality, production processes and innovation within specialist food facilities and practical learning environments.
What stands out throughout the video is how often apprentices reference the value of experiencing this alongside peers from different organisations and sectors across food and drink manufacturing.
That wider exposure helps learners build confidence, share ideas, understand different approaches across the industry and strengthen the connection between technical learning and practical application.
Delivered by Industry-Experienced Experts
Another theme consistently highlighted throughout the apprentice feedback is the value of learning from people with genuine industry experience.
CQM’s delivery team combines technical expertise with practical manufacturing understanding, helping apprentices relate learning back to their own operational environments, challenges and career development.
Together with the practical sessions and open cohort model, this creates a programme experience that feels engaging, collaborative and highly relevant to modern food and drink manufacturing.
Supporting the Future of Food and Drink Manufacturing
Food and drink manufacturers continue to invest in people who can contribute across quality, safety, innovation, process understanding and continuous improvement.
CQM’s Food Industry Technologist Level 3 apprenticeship supports that development through a delivery model that combines accessibility, practical application, industry insight and collaboration across the sector.
For many apprentices, that combination is what makes the experience memorable, valuable and impactful long after the workshops themselves have finished.
Thank you to all the apprentices taking part in this case study including Lucy Armstrong at Lionel Hitchin and Layla Jones at Dunbia Group, and to the Harper Adams University and its helpful staff for allowing us to capture this footage during our practical workshops.
Would you like to find out more about our Food Industry Technologist Level 3 Programme?