Food manufacturers ‘too reliant’ on migrant workers

Jack Matthews​, chief executive of Improve, the sector skills council and the National Skills Academy for food and drink

“About 30% of our jobs​ [in food and drink manufacturing] are filled by migrant workers. In some cases, that rises to the upper 80 percents in the fish processing plants along the Humber estuary. We need to address our dependency on migrant workers in food production.”​

Matthews: “We​ [food and drink manufacturers] have 137,000 vacancies to fill over the next five years. When we look at the demographics of our sector, too many people will retire. There are not enough young people to replace them.”​

Jim Moseley​, president Food and Drink Federation (FDF)

“​There are three overriding factors​ [facing the food and drink industry]: growing exports, which reached an estimated £12.1bn last year; staying world class in terms of products and innovation;and attracting the talent we need for the future.”​

Moseley: “We have to compete for the best graduates of the future. The FDF wants to work with one or two universities to deliver graduates with the food and drink skills the industry requires.”​

Justine Fosh​, executive director National Skills Academy

“The government seeks to grow the market for skills because the link between skills and growing productivity is well made.”​

Sam Richards,​ engineering apprentice Nestlé

“I’ve been working shifts for the past 12 months and I really feel part of the team. I’m treated the same as the other two qualified engineers. Apprentices used to get tied up and grease put over them but nothing like that has happened to me.”​

Richards: “Food manufacturers should advertise jobs in schools and sixth form colleges. They should offer opportunities for work experience to get people interested in jobs.”​

Jon Poole​, chief executive Institute of Food Science and Technology

“For the UK to keep pace with demand and hold its competitive position, it has been estimated that we need 40% more technically skilled people over the next five years. The same applies for the food sector.”​

Poole: “Most students are blind to the jobs that are available. There’s a lot to do in terms of encouraging and inspiring young people to consider what jobs are available.”​

Chris Edwards​, technical competence development manager Arla Foods

“Three organisations are delivering a similar message but it is not joined up; they seem to be off kilter with each other. They should be working more together.”​

HR manager​

“We have 33 job vacancies to fill for 16– to 18–year–olds but we can’t find anyone suitable.”​

HR manager​

“The food industry used to be used as a threat. If you don’t work [at school] you will be going into the nearest food factory.”​

The HR Forum was organised by FoodManufacture.co.uk’s sister title, Food Manufacture​ and took place at Foodex at the National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham on March 26.

For text news from the HR Forum, click here​.

For more video news, click here​. Watch out later this week for more video news from Food Manufacturer’s HR Forum.

HR Forum – in numbers​

137,000                         Vacancies food and drink manufacturers must fill over the next five years. (Matthews)

117,000                         Food and drink workers whose roles involve science (Poole).

21,300                           Primary scientists working in food and drink manufacturing (Poole).

£25,000                         Starting salary in food and drink manufacturing firms (Moseley).

£40,000                         Salary after gaining more experience (Moseley).

8,500                             New food and drink product launches in 2011 (500 up on 2010) (Matthews).

33                                 Current vacancies in one firm that could not be filled due to lack of appropriate skills (HR manager).