A COLLEGE has won a Government award recognising the development of a technology centre.

Askham Bryan College, near York has been awarded Centre of Vocational Excellence status after it created a food chain technology centre with facilities for a food chain operation, beginning with a milk processing plant.

One of the college's objectives is to improve links in the food chain from producer to processor to retailer to the consumer.

Professor Gareth Rees, principal, said: "We are absol- utely delighted with the news. One of our key aims is to equip students with the most relevant, practical and modern skills which are needed by food industry employers.

"With this in mind, as well as building the centre, we are establishing working partnerships with those in the food industry to ensure we meet their training requirements. The benefit of employers being actively involved will be immense. The centre will focus on the whole food process from production through to processing to marketing and selling."

The centre will offer flexible, modular training, particularly designed to attract non-traditional learners. It expects most students in the first three years to be aged 19 and over and already working within the industry.

Work begins with the conversion of redundant farm buildings into two production units, lecture and seminar rooms, a demonstration laboratory, project workshops and office accommodation.

A milk processing plant is also planned to add value to milk produced in the college dairy unit and to provide a good practice demonstration model for both students and partner organisations.