New Developments in Onshore Training
Some of these developments have been requested by employers, while others are a logical extension to already existing programmes. Our network of approved training providers have proven invaluable in this work as experts, authors and developers working with the onshore team.
Some of our new programmes are simply existing generic programmes that we have reworked into a seafood specific version. A good example of this is our elementary food hygiene in the seafood industry course.This is a standard Level 2 food safety training programme that has been reworked with added fish and shellfish content. Other programmes are new or have been created solely for the seafood industry. Let’s take a closer look at three of these developments.
The Management of Food Authenticity and Integrity is an exciting (to us at Seafish at least) development, as it is the second of our planned food authenticity training courses. This one day training course is new, leading edge, and unlike any other programme available to seafood businesses. It’s a challenging Level 4 programme aimed at managers in seafood businesses and it will be ready to launch in Scotland in March 2020. The programme will introduce a version of the official control methodology used by EHOs and relies heavily of the use of bespoke and very detailed case studies.
Find out more about Food Authenticity courses
The Fish Frying Skills (distance learning programme) was relaunched late in 2019. This updated version of our 15 year old in-shop training programme has been well received by fish friers as it addresses the many technical improvements the sector has seen in the last 15 years such as the increasing use of hi-efficiency ranges. Other recent changes such as allergen control and information requirements are also addressed in the new pack. The NFFF administer the training programme for Seafish and it complements their existing one and three day training courses and their fish frying skills in-shop programmes. To undertake the programme contact the National Federation of Fish Friers.
For fishmongers we have two new guides currently being developed. The first is our Guide to Food Safety Management for Fishmongers that will be launched (in draft form) in March. It will be available from the Seafish website. Our second offering is a Guide to Customer Service for Fishmongers. The work on this is almost completed and will be launched in spring. Both of these are new resources that we hope will help the smaller fishmongers. The food hygiene guide will go some way towards explaining what safe systems of working are needed to ensure food safety and compliance, while the customer service guide will help train new members of staff in that vital skill.
Looking forward to the rest of 2020 we have a few ideas on how we can provide a better service to industry as well as a few requests for new learning and development opportunities. One such request is for learning content to support the live holding of crabs and lobsters subsector. Working with other colleagues in Seafish, the onshore training team will set up an online water quality source of guidance, information and perhaps even videos on how to monitor and maintain water quality.
This is just a snapshot of our work in progress and what we hope to achieve in the coming financial year.
Find out more about Seafish Onshore Training