The UK food and drink sector is facing a serious skills shortage as it was revealed that the industry has some of the lowest levels of qualified workers in the country. This is according to a new report by Improve - a government-funded agency charged with upgrading worker skills within the UK's food and drink manufacturing sector. It found that one third of staff in the processing sector have no qualifications at all. "About 19% of the sector's workforce has no qualifications compared with the average of 11% for the total UK workforce," said a spokesman for Improve. "The food and drink sector is vital to the economy, however the sector faces significant pressures including issues with recruitment, retention and marketing." Despite these figures, Improve hopes that England's food and drink manufacturing industry will benefit from a new government initiative to scrap the upper age limit for apprenticeship funding. To date, employers have only been able to attract financial assistance for taking on apprentices between 16 and 24. The study also found the number of jobs in the UK's food and drink sector fell by 14% from 2000 to 2005, reflecting the decline in the number of companies in the sector. UK food and drink manufacturers currently employ 425,000 people, with the loss of 68,000 positions in the six years to the end of 2005. During the same period, 1,300 manufacturing sites closed, a drop of 10%. About 23% of the employees work for meat and bakery manufacturers. Bakery employs 27% of the total workforce, meat 18% and beverages 9% . The industry is heavily dominated by male workers, with only about 32% of the workforce made up of females, with 23% of those part-time, compared with 4% of male workers.

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