Food-Fit. Methodological proposals to facilitate the implementation and development of the European Qualifications Framework (EQF) for the food sector in the EU

Currently, the food industry is one of the most dynamic sectors of the EU economy, with an annual production of 600.000 million euro (Eurostat Yearbook, 2008). The sector employs more than 2,6 million persons, that mean 14,5% of the total occupation of the manufacturing sectors in the EU. Around 30% of the work is developed in small and medium enterprises (SMEs), which are scattered throughout the European geography.

From the 90?s on, the food industries have been affected by great structural changes derived from the globalisation of economy, the introduction of new technologies, the changes in the working organisation and the adaptation to quality, environmental and food safety rules, which have generated new necessities of qualification and occupational training.

In this context of competitiveness and changes, the social partners, public administrations, training centres and companies of the sector are showing their concern about the adaptation of the vocational training and the professional qualifications to the learning outcomes proposed in the European Qualifications Framework (EQF) for 2012 (Recommendation of the European Parliament and of the Council, 2008/C 111/01).

The general aim of the FOOD-FIT project is to develop, from the point of view of social partners and companies, a methodology and a group of tools for the implementation and development of the European Qualifications Framework (EQF) in the food sector in the EU (NACE code 10, 11: Manufacture of food products and beverages).

The specific aims are the following:

• To define the working organisation of the FOOD-FIT consortium and to establish a quality plan for the development of the project.
• To analyse the occupations considered as key occupations for the food sector in the categories of technicians (university degree) and specialists, and, afterwards, to describe the qualifications of those occupations in terms of learning outcomes: knowledge, skills and competences (EQF levels).
• To analyse those learning outcomes with reference to the European Higher Education Area and to the National Qualifications Frameworks (NQF).
• To develop a web site and computer tools for the guidance, the occupational training and the promotion of EQF in the food sector.
• To elaborate a dissemination guide addressed to the referent entities in the sector: public administrations, social partners, training centres and companies.
• To evaluate and spread the project?s outcomes, together with the referent entities in the sector: public administrations, social partners, training centres and companies.

Expected results:

• Elaboration of a quality plan for the development of the work.
• Development of an inventory of occupations in the food companies, linked to the EQF descriptors.
• Design of a web site which will facilitate the implementation and development of the European Qualifications Framework (EQF) in the sector.
• Proposal of tools for the professional guidance: application for the self-diagnosis, elaboration of CV (Europass), guidance on training itineraries.
• Design of a guide for the implementation of EQF in the food sector, addressed to public administrations, social partners, training centres and companies of the sector.
• Presentation of national reports on the validation of the products.
• Report about the international dissemination seminar.

Food-Fit will be developed by IFES (Spain), FTA-UGT (SPAIN), bfw (GERMANY), IDEAS (IRELAND), EUROQUALITY (FRANCE), EUROPROJECT (BULGARIA). The collaborating organizations are: Public Administrations (INCUAL, Spain), Social partners (European Federation of Trade Unions in the Food, Agriculture and Tourism sectors, EFFAT), Companies (NESTLÉ), Training centres (FESSA, SPAIN.)