Food industry Capacity & Skill Initiative which is Sector Skill Council for Food Processing (an autonomous body under the National Skill Development Corporation) successfully launched the India Food Safety Readiness Program powered by the Food Processing Skills Canada on 23rd September 2021 through a webinar that saw registrations and participation from over 1000 plus industry professionals and students.
Food Processing Skills Canada (www.fpsc.ctac.com), headquartered in Ottawa, Canada is a no profit industry led organisation that is engaged in work force development in that country. It has developed a national skills strategy which is a proven long-term approach successfully utilized by the industry.
FICSI has been working closely with the Food Processing Skills Canada team over the last year to develop a program that addresses the food safety needs of the Indian food industry along the lines of the food safety measures that are being adopted globally by food industries. The Covid19 pandemic which has grappled the world at large has further amplified focus on food safety and hygiene globally.
Shri Sunil Marwah, CEO FICSI highlighted the idea behind collaborating with the Food Processing Skills Canada. He stressed upon the importance of food safety and hygiene in the food ecosystem and how FICSI has been able to bring this unique skilling program that lets the participant undergo the course at their own pace and get acquainted with global food safety norms. This knowledge could improve the competitiveness of Indian food exporters.
The speakers from the Food Processing Skills Canada Ms Jennefer Griffith, Executive Director FPSC, Ms Deanna Zenger, Project Manager & Trainer FPSC and Mr Minty Gadhok, Consultant FPSC went on to describe the salient features of this self-paced learning program and how it will enable the learners to confidently upskill and grow their knowledge of food safety requirements in the industry.
Some of the unique features of this training program are 1) Mounted on a modern state of the art Learning Management System (LMS) Self-Paced and interactive E-learning library. 2)Provides an insight into the working culture and processing techniques of the food processing industry. 3)Self-reading material provided by means of links and articles are up to date and consist of global case studies and examples. 4) Competence based course. 5)Learning modules are created keeping in mind the international food safety standards. 6)The program includes 10 courses of 40 hours that cover the food safety, hygiene, and sanitation requirements of the food industry.