Food Tech Programme To Meet Industry Demand

There is an increased demand for food technology graduates from the industry and the Government.

This is because of increased challenges and innovations relating to food production and processing, food safety, food packaging/labelling, food systems and sustainability.

To meet this demand, Fiji National University’s (FNU) Department of Food Science and Home Economics under the School of Applied Sciences at the College of Engineering Science and Technology offer its student’s skills based Food technology programmes.

Head of Department Arti Pillay said the programme aims to develop students’ theoretical and practical knowledge and skills in food science and technology applications in a broad range of food industries.

Food technology programme

Mr Pillay said with a unique combination of courses including food processing, food engineering, food sustainability and security, research and development and marketing etc, graduates are trained to be industry competent and ready for employment upon graduation without further training.

“There is a high market for Food Technology graduates, and our program has a high employability rate of more than 80 per cent. Our graduates are employed in a wide range of industries, inclusive of food manufacturing industries, academia, teaching, biosecurity, various government ministries and respective science laboratories.

“This is substantiated by the increased request received from food industries for graduates for employment and apprenticeship every semester. Some graduates are offered employment during their industry attachment placement in year two of the programme hence switch to part-time studies to complete the rest of the programme,” he said.

FNU is the only national local university offering Food Technology courses, and considering the increased demand from the industry, FNU has not placed a quota on the enrolment for the programme.

The Food Technology programmes offered at FNU are:

■Bache●or of Science – Food Technology (Single Major)

■Bache●or of Science – Food Technology and Chemistry (Double Major)

■Postgraduate Diploma in Food Science and

Food Technology studies at the Fiji National University offers its students practical knowledge and skills in food science and technology applications in a broad range of food industries.