UK Flour Millers awards six Advanced Milling Diplomas to trained members
UK – UK Flour Millers has celebrated six employees from flour mills across the United Kingdom who have been awarded the highest qualification, the Advanced Milling Diploma, after three years of study.
UK Flour Millers is the trade body representing the UK flour milling industry.
Alistair Gale, chief executive officer of UK Flour Millers applauded the students, noting that for them, securing their diplomas is the result of substantial commitment and hard work, supported by their flour milling employers.
“Through their studies, they have broadened and deepened their knowledge of the industry, setting it alongside deeper analytical skills. In combination, it sets them up to make a greater contribution both to their employers and the wider milling industry.”
According to the body, the Advanced Milling Diploma was developed in response to member companies’ belief that the association should facilitate or provide training significantly beyond the level of the correspondence courses and craft skills certificate, in order to help produce the leading millers of the future.
The celebrated cohort of Advanced Milling Diploma students is the sixth to pass through the challenging diploma program.
The diploma is the final step in the UK Flour Millers’ programs, which start with entry-level online learning and continue with the three-year correspondence course.
It is provided with partners Campden BRI and the Bühler Milling Academy, who host residential study, alongside a mentored research paper that sees students analyze a key aspect of their employers’ business. Students on the course are selected through an application form and a final interview.
The course is a development step for those who have substantial experience in flour milling and are ready to take the next step within their organizations and the industry.
This year’s candidates include Katie Barwise, Carr’s Flour Mill in Silloth, Robert Beckett, Heygates Flour Mill in Tring, Dean Boatman, Allied Mills in Tilbury, Richard Gibson, E B Bradshaw & Sons in Driffield, Mark Pimblett, ADM Milling in Seaforth and, Andrew Thomson, Whitworth Bros in Wellingborough.
Gale stated that milling is a specialized industry that requires a dedicated training resource noting that the diploma is an essential part of the association’s training offer.
“It’s bespoke, matched to the needs of the industry and its customers, equipping students with the knowledge and insight to shape future development.”
He explained that the student’s final project is on a topic of their choice, supported by their employer, with the benefits flowing through to the business in areas including improved operational efficiency and new product development.
He, therefore, called upon millers to enroll for the next cohort of flour milling industry employees to study for the Advanced Milling Diploma, with the course set to begin in autumn 2024.
Interested applicants can learn more via UK Flour Millers’ website.
