Top food firms back “myth-buster” youth recruitment drive as first Tasty Careers Ambassadors

Oct. 31, 2012 - PRLog -- The first four Ambassadors for UK food and drink manufacturing are preparing to raise the profile of careers in the industry in local schools after completing special presentation training with the National Skills Academy for Food & Drink.

The initial four Ambssadors, backed by their employers Britvic, Worldwide Fruit and Wiseman Dairies, are at the vanguard of the Academy’s Tasty Careers programme which is designed to change widely held misconceptions among young people about jobs in food manufacturing.

Recent research by skills council Improve shows careers in food and drink manufacturing are “off the radar” of most teens who are unaware of the wide variety of well paid industry jobs, the highly automated and innovative nature of many firms and the relative job security of working in food manufacturing compared to other industries.

“Food manufacturing is now the largest manufacturing sector in the UK and includes some of the country’s best-known businesses and brands yet it is a complete blind spot for many local young people even when great employers are on their doorstep,” said Justine Fosh, Executive Director of the National Skills Academy for Food & Drink.

“With many existing staff nearing retirement age, Tasty Careers represents a real effort to get to the root of the problem by changing attitudes at the point when youngsters are making critical career and study choices.”

Through Tasty Careers, the Academy are now providing firms with a structured presentation and training package to reach out to youngsters at local schools. The programme supports younger employees in undertaking classroom talks telling of their own experiences armed with “myth-buster” facts and figures about the industry as a whole.

“The success of Tasty Careers relies on a true partnership with industry businesses and represents an excellent development opportunity for existing younger staff,” said Justine Fosh.  

“We’ve developed a format that engages and having got the ball rolling we’re now encouraging many more firms to grow their local recruitment pipeline and put suitable staff forward for Ambassador training.”

Businesses wishing to find out more about how to take advantage of the Tasty Careers programme should contact the Academy on   0845 644 0558, email a.laverack@foodanddrink.nsacademy.co.uk or visit the Academy’s website at www.foodanddrink.nsacademy.co.uk