At present there is a distinct lack of qualified technicians within the food manufacturing industry and with 1/3 of the workforce set to retire within the next five years the question looms, where will the next generation of food manufacturers come from?
A recent report from the Liverpool Daily Post claimed that manufacturing recovery has been hampered by the skills gap. Lloyd Whiteley, chairman of Liverpool based food and agricultural group Edward Billington stated:
“At universities, engineering has gone downhill. It is now making a comeback, but there’s a gap in people in their 20’s and 30’s”.
Sharing a similar sentiment Richard Else, Operations Manager said:
“It was short-sighted of us four years ago when we cut back on these things, we should have invested in it (skills)”.
One regulatory body taking action against the apparent skills gap is The Food and Drink Federation. Noting the need for an influx of trained professionals in the industry they are calling for food manufactures to sign a pledge to increase the number of apprenticeships they offer.
Alongside the National Skills Academy for Food and Drink and the National Apprenticeship Service, the FDF hosted a workshop at the tail end of last year, with the explicit aim of informing on the benefits an apprentice can bring.
It seems that the sector itself is going someway to accommodate those looking to move into the food manufacturing and to nurture their talent. However do we also need a system in place to educate and entice the next generation into the industry?
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