CQM Training & Consultancy joins National Skills Academy for Food & Drink

Jul 25, 2025 | Articles

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CQM Training & Consultancy joins National Skills Academy for Food & Drink
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CQM Training & Consultancy becomes a member of the National Skills Academy for Food & Drink network to provide ongoing support in lean transformation, operational excellence and skills development across the UK Food & Drink Manufacturing industry.

CQM Training & Consultancy (CQM T&C) has officially joined the National Skills Academy for Food & Drink (NSAFD) network, strengthening its commitment to supporting the UK food and drink manufacturing sector through tailored training in lean methodologies, continuous improvement, and leadership development.

This partnership will enable closer collaboration between CQM T&C and NSAFD members to address current and emerging skills challenges, while aligning training delivery with sector growth priorities.

Supporting Sector Ambitions

Food and drink manufacturing continues to play a vital role in the UK economy, contributing over £37 billion annually and employing nearly 500,000 people. As the sector looks to the future, there is growing momentum behind investment in people and skills to drive innovation, resilience, and long-term productivity.

Rather than viewing current challenges as setbacks, many manufacturers are responding with a clear focus on opportunity. According to the Food and Drink Federation’s Q1 2025 State of Industry report, 64% of businesses are prioritising efficiency gains through upskilling their existing workforce which is a proactive shift away from reliance on recruitment alone, particularly as labour costs continue to rise. While vacancy rates remain elevated at 3.9%, above the UK manufacturing average of 2.1%, many companies see this as a catalyst for building internal capability and strengthening long-term capacity.

Crucially, 56% of manufacturers intend to invest their training funds in 2025 to boost technical expertise, management skills, and business improvement capabilities demonstrating a clear commitment to embedding continuous learning at every level. These areas align strongly with CQM T&C’s training offer, including Lean Six Sigma programmes and leadership development courses that support both operational effectiveness and culture change.

There is also significant growth potential to unlock. The FDF’s Powering Communities report estimates up to £14 billion in untapped productivity improvements across the UK food and drink sector, much of which depends on equipping employees with the skills and confidence to lead change from within.

These developments reflect an industry that is not only adapting but actively evolving, placing skills development at the heart of progress. CQM T&C’s partnership with NSAFD builds on this momentum, helping to shape a future-focused workforce ready to meet the sector’s ambitions head-on.

A Shared Commitment to Collaboration

The decision to join NSAFD and seek industry approval reflects CQM’s alignment with the network’s strategic vision of building a future-fit food and drink workforce. This includes contributing to collaborative initiatives, delivering accessible and high-impact training, and supporting the upskilling of operational and leadership teams across the sector.

Through participation in new and existing activities, CQM T&C aims to contribute to joint efforts that promote sustainable productivity growth, resilience, and long-term capability development across the industry.

Enabling Practical Skills Transformation

With increasing focus on innovation, quality improvement and digital readiness, there is growing demand for training solutions that drive measurable performance and cultural change. Programmes that support continuous improvement, such as Lean Six Sigma belts, along with leadership courses like CQM T&C’s unique “Authentic Leader” programmes are well-positioned to support these priorities by equipping individuals with both technical and behavioural capabilities.

CQM’s involvement with NSAFD is expected to open new opportunities to engage with manufacturers, share best practice, and support sector-wide transformation through skills-based interventions.

CQM’s Lean Six Sigma Green Belt for Food & Drink Manufacturers

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About CQM

CQM Training & Consultancy is a leading training provider with a proven track record and extensive experience supporting food and drink manufacturing organisations, specialising in Lean Six Sigma, Continuous Improvement (CI), and leadership development.

CQM T&C support businesses within the industry drive operational excellence, increase efficiency, and develop strong leadership capabilities through their most crucial assets – its people.

By delivering accredited Lean Six Sigma training, leadership development programmes, and providing bespoke consultancy services designed to improve quality, reduce waste, and optimise performance for manufacturers and their supply chain, CQM T&C are trusted by organisations across the sector, working closely with them to implement real, measurable change.

Their tailored programmes equip teams with the skills and knowledge needed to embed sustainable improvement strategies, enhance productivity, and meet industry-specific challenges. This includes specific courses such as Food Safety, HACCP/VACCP/TACCP, IOSH and more.

CQM T&C is part of the wider Instructus Group, a UK registered educational charity, with the aim to “Develop People and Transform Lives”

About NSAFD

The NSAFD is a not-for-profit organisation led by the industry for the industry, through its members and its Board of sector employers. It operates in five core areas:

  • Developing unique solutions to industry needs based on the very best intelligence and insight into the skills needs of the food and drink sector
  • Developing apprenticeship standards for the industry – supporting employers navigate their way around this complex landscape
  • Understanding, inputting to and shaping policy and funding for the sector
  • Identifying, accrediting and developing specialist training provision specifically for the food sector
  • Managing complex delivery projects for employers and government across the UK

The NSAFD are the trusted experts for skills in the food and drink sector, providing a safe environment for the collaboration for skills development in the sector, the go-to organisation for independent, impartial advice and support on skills and the valued facilitator of skills development and delivery.

Looking Ahead

This new partnership signals an important step towards strengthening cross-sector collaboration in support of industry-led skills development. CQM looks forward to contributing to the National Skills for Food & Drink’s mission to improve workforce capability, drive innovation, and ensure the UK’s food and drink sector remains globally competitive.

“Boosting productivity while maintaining quality through effective process improvements, strong leadership and ensuring compliance is mission-critical for the Food & Drink manufacturing industry. We’re excited to join the National Skills Academy for Food & Drink network and the team at CQM Training and Consultancy are all looking forward to supporting the breadth of F&D employers and employees across the sector”

Jenny Humphreys, Group Sales & Marketing Director – CQM T&C

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