Tasty scheme to attract new industry talent
The National Skills Academy for Food & Drink has named the first firms to step forward to support a groundbreaking new recruitment initiative designed to help food and drink manufacturing firms attract more local employees, and get more young people into the industry.
Meat producer McIntosh Donald, Scottish beef processing company AK Stoddart and chilled seafood producer Blue Earth Foods, along with the UK’s largest national catering butcher, Fairfax Meadow, and fresh prepared foods and produce Yorkshire Fresh Fruit (part of the Bakkavor group) have all pledged direct support for the Tasty Jobs pilot project, which aims to ensure local unemployed people have the right skills, experience and knowledge to be job-ready for vacancies at the companies.
Under the scheme, all candidates who successfully complete the training are guaranteed a job interview. While firms retain selection rights, the vast majority of trainees are expected to secure long-term employment at the company where they have trained.
The National Skills Academy for Food & Drink is now calling on more firms to take part in the pilot programme for Tasty Jobs which started last month and is intended to put at least 600 currently unemployed local people through pre-employment training that ensures they are both industry-ready and job-ready.
Each firm taking part commits to host a mix of on-site and classroom training lasting up to six weeks. Candidates train in a ‘live’ environment at company premises but away from main production lines, and always under the guidance of Academy trainers.
“There’s no disruption of normal factory routine but all the skills and experience learned will be tailored to the firms that have taken part, giving them a much better opportunity to recruit locally,” says Tasty Jobs project manager Faith Castle (pictured).
“There’s no cost to participating companies and all the trainees will be there because they want to be. They’ll still receive their normal benefits while training and, thanks to help from the Department for Work and Pensions, they may also have their travel and childcare costs covered.
“Our research shows many local unemployed people are wary of taking on the kind of part-time or temporary jobs that build experience and act as a gateway back into work because their benefits are affected. That’s further compounded by the fact that jobs in food and drink manufacturing are simply off the radar of many local young unemployed people.”
