A nationwide study has been launched to investigate the feasibility of a new International Packaging Excellence Centre to be based in the UK. It will look into whether the UK packaging industry would benefit from a centre of excellence and if so, which areas should be covered within the remit of the organization.
Fred Hoyland Associates has been commissioned by the Leicester Shire Economic Partnership to carry out the study. Part of it will look into the training and development needs of the packaging industry. A questionnaire will be emailed to over 2,000 companies from all areas of the packaging industry and the views of readers of Converting Today are also being sought by the project. Readers involved in any aspect of the packaging industry are asked to go to www.eomniform.com/servlet/FillForm/research/Questionnaire and to complete the five minute questionnaire on-line.
John Webb-Jenkins, development director for the Centre of Excellence says the survey is central to the success of the project. "This is the most exciting initiative to come out of the UK for as long as I can remember. It combines a sound UK training base with the opportunity to market the skills we develop worldwide, firmly establishing the UK as the foremost base for education, training and packaging innovation in the world.
"I urge anybody involved in the industry to complete the questionnaire and give us your opinion on this exciting new initiative."
The results of the survey will help to inform UK Government strategy and enable further funding for significant development within the packaging industry.
The Packaging Centre of Excellence will be situated on a new site in Leicester, with conference facilities, development and testing laboratories and live machine demonstrations. It will provide education and training to VRQ and NVQ standards for both the UK, and worldwide packaging industry.
John Webb-Jenkins adds: "The results of the survey will determine the demand for such a facility and the training priorities within the UK packaging industry".
The study will be published by the LSEP later in the year. The LSEP is a strategic sub-regional partnership charged with the promotion of economic development in the sub-region.
The Institute of Packaging has expressed its support for the proposed Centre of Excellence. Markham May, head of the institute's Packaging Industry Awarding Body Company, comments: "We look forward to the development and to receiving an application from the centre to become an approved centre for offering courses leading to packaging qualifications".
| Contact |
| John Webb-Jenkins Tel: +44 (0) 1932 844 556 |
