Food manufacturers offer ‘good career prospects’

The survey of 1,100 people conducted this spring revealed that 40% of respondents agreed that the food and drink manufacturing industry offered good career prospects.

A further 45% of respondents agreed that a career in the food and drink manufacturing industry offered “stable and secure employment”.

According to a statement from the Food and Drink Federation (FDF), which commissioned the research: “Historically the perceptions of the food industry have often been considered to be an undesirable sector, with popular views that jobs in the industry have no prospects and are poorly paid.” ​

Highly-paid individuals​

But it reality the industry employs highly skilled and highly paid individuals, with a total workforce of  400,000 people across the UK, it added.

Angela Coleshill, the FDF’s director of competiveness, said: “We are extremely pleased with these findings as it demonstrates that the industry is an exciting and stable sector to work in. We employ some of the most innovative people and with a variety of roles from creating, developing, researching and marketing new products – the food industry is a great place to work.​

“As part of the FDF’s 20/20 vision for growth, we have acknowledged that one of the key challenges is to deliver a sustainable growth of 20% by 2020 - by attracting the best talent to our industry. We hope these findings convince provide skeptical individuals that this industry really is a challenging, rewarding and exciting sector to be in.”​

Jon Poole, ceo the Institute of Food Science and Technology, said: "Those working in the food manufacturing sector know that it is a good place to work. The range of jobs and career opportunities ares are really broad and the vast majority of people you meet from the sector are keen to stress this - evangelically sometimes.​

"What is encouraging from this report is that, perhaps, finally the message is starting to get through."

Graduate Ambition​

Meanwhile, Coleshill noted a postive response to the FDF’s invitation to universities to partner the industry in developing a food and drink engineering degree:“We are delighted that so many universities from all across the UK have taken an interest in partnering with us on our Graduate Ambition.​

“This new degree course will be vital in ensuring we attract the top class young talent qualified to meet the specific needs of our sector.”​

More than 20 universities from across the UK attended the briefing on the plan to design a dedicated food and drink engineering degree held last week at the Department of Business Innovation and Skills in London last week.