22 June 2011

Agriculture Minister Jim Paice today announced the launch of 50,000 new apprenticeship opportunities in the food industry as part of an industry drive to get more young people into skilled food jobs. Mr Paice made the announcement as he launched a Defra-sponsored action plan to get food businesses to run more apprenticeships and change young people’s perceptions of work in the food industry.

Speaking at the Institute of Grocery Distribution’s (IGD) Skills and Employability Summit, Food and Agriculture Minister Jim Paice said, “Our food industry is hugely important to growth, employing 3.7 million people and contributing almost £90 billion to the UK economy. But we know that there is a big skills gap right across the food chain. The industry must attract more well qualified and ambitious candidates if it is to continue to grow and innovate.”

“These 50,000 apprenticeships show that the food industry is serious about becoming a place where young people seek out skilled and fulfilling careers. I would encourage anyone out there looking for a challenging career in a growing sector to think about the food industry.”

The new Skills Action Plan for the Food Supply Chain aims to encourage more apprenticeships across the entire Food Supply Chain, but in particular in small and medium enterprises (SMEs), and change the way that young people view careers and development in the food industry; as part of this the industry will push a new ‘Feed your Ambition’ message to over 60,000 young people in over 800 schools.

John Hayes MP, Minister of State for Further Education, Skills and Lifelong Learning said, “Investing in skills helps the food industry build a sustainable and prosperous future. Apprenticeships are a great way for young people to get the high calibre training they need to get on – and with every pound of public money invested in an apprenticeship generating a return of £40 for the economy, they are great for growth. That’s why this Government will support the greatest number of apprenticeships in our country’s history.”

Paul Grimwood, Chairman of the Food and Drinks Federation (FDF) Competitiveness Steering Group and Chairman & CEO of Nestle UK & Ireland said, “We need to attract well qualified and ambitious candidates into our industry. The Food Supply Chain Action Plan brings together all parts of the food chain to maximise the impact of individual campaigns and actively promote career opportunities to potential new entrants.”