Food firms should appeal to the iPod generation

03-Oct-2011 - Last updated on 19-Aug-2020 at 08:31 GMT

Nicola Swann: winner of the PPMA's Ones to Watch award

UK food manufacturing, packaging and processing firms should appeal to the iPod generation to attract the next generation of young talent, according to the PPMA.

Its group ceo Chris Buxton acknowledged that the sector has an image problem, which needs addressing. “There’s much more that industry and government can do to recognise the contribution of food manufacturing to the UK economy and, in doing so, help to attract a new generation of talent,” he told FoodManufacture.co.uk.

In this podcast, recorded at the PPMA trade show in Birmingham, Buxton explains the nature of the problem and some of the solutions; including the PPMA show's Ones to Watch awards.

This award, made to someone under 35 years of age, recognises an outstanding contribution to the UK packaging and processing machinery industry.

Winner of this year’s award was Nicola Swann (pictured), who is Videojet Technologies’ marketing manager for UK and Ireland.

Swann, 29 years of age, was credited with boosting new business through the corporate website by more than 300%.