Press Release: FTAA EDUCATION FOUNDATION

The Food Technology Association of Australia (FTAA) announces the establishment of a Food Science & Technology(FST) Education and Scholarship Foundation. The FTAA has focussed on the current shortage of Industry-ready Food Technologists when they exit Universities as graduates. The objective of the foundation is to distribute the funds to secondary and tertiary education Institutions to enable more and better educated Food Technology Graduates to enter the Industry. Programmes are being developed and will be introduced later this year.

The initiatives will include secondary school programmes to promote Food Science (in place of Domestic Science Subjects), Adopt a School programme, Rural Undergraduate first year Scholarships, Short, Medium and long term placement programmes for FST Undergraduates. The FTAA will work directly with the University of NSW (Sydney) and RMIT University (Melbourne) to establish scholarships and placement programmes.

The establishment of the Foundation was passed unanimously at the recent FTAA AGM and comes after FTAA has spent approx $30K of FTAA funds in the recent Graduate Skills survey and subsequent activities with the Food Science & Technology Working Group (FSTWG). In the first year FTAA aims to raise $A50K from members, allowing FTAA to apply for grants and funds from various State and Federal organisations and Associations of a further $A50K.

In the current food industry economic climate it is critical that we address these growing skills shortages and act as a responsible Food Industry. This issue has been talked about for years and it is time for the Industry to work closer with Education Institutions.

For further details please contact :
Peter Bush
Executive Officer
FTAA
Tel 041 958 6723
1st August 2012