From November 1, separate apprenticeships for bakery, meat and poultry processing and food and drink manufacture in general, are being replaced by a single framework.

The framework is designed to allow newcomers to the sector the flexibility to specialise in any of the sub-sectors.

The basic food manufacture apprenticeship will give successful participants five of the qualifications needed in secondary school.

The advanced apprenticeship programme offers training to the equivalent of the UK A-Level, said Improve, the government-funded organisation set up to boost skills and productivity in the UK food sector.

The apprenticeships were revised to make them more attractive, more cost-effective and better geared to the needs of the industry, Improve stated.

The organisation forecasts the new framework will result in the number of participants in the apprentice programme rising to about 2,000 by 2012, from the 400 anticipated next year.

The five-fold increase that will be vital to addressing key skills shortages and falling numbers of young recruits in the UK's largest manufacturing sector, said Jack Matthews, the organisation's chief executive.

"Half of all workers in food and drink manufacture are not qualified to the equivalent of five good GCSEs, and a quarter lack basic skills in reading, writing and numeracy," he stated. "If we are to move forward improving performance and profitability, we need a better skilled workforce."

Since Improve took over responsibility for skills improvement, apprentice numbers have been on the rise, with successful completions doubling in the past two years, he added.

"But there are still too many apprentices not completing their courses and far too few progressing to the higher level," he stated.

About 400 new apprentices in food and drink manufacture are due to start the programme next year, which is a low number compared to some other, smaller industries, he said.

The overall pass rate is just 61 per cent, dipping to 45 per cent at the higher level.

Key changes to the framework include the introduction of a modular system of study and assessment allowing apprentices to work towards a technical diploma and a National Vocational Qualification (NVQ).

The modular form allows apprentices to more easily complete the course.

The emphasis of the apprenticeships is on work-based learning, giving a direct link between theory and practical skills needed to do a particular job, Matthews stated.

The UK's food and drink industry has one of the most poorly qualified workforces in the UK, according to Improve. About 19 per cent of the sector's workforce have no qualifications, compared to the average of 11 per cent for the total UK workforce.

One third of staff in the processing sector were found to have no qualifications at all.

Improve's forecasting showed that the food and drink industry needs to recruit 118,000 more employees to fill current job roles, opened by existing workforce retirement or migration to other industries.

The increasing automation across the industry means different skills are required from the workforce. With production lines becoming morecomplex and demanding the shortage of skilled workers in the UK industry is acute.

The UK's food and drink manufacturing sector employs somewhere between 500,000 and 900,000 staff, according to estimates by Improve.