Plan to tackle skills shortage

Chef Jamie Oliver is backing FoodStart, an online system designed to help students get work placements with food and drink companies.

The free service, created by the Institute of Food Science and Technology (IFST), aims to address the serious skills shortage facing the industry. By 2020, it’s predicted that the UK food and drink industry will need more than 170,000 employees – but attracting a sufficient number of students to the food and drink sector is proving an ongoing challenge.

Food employers will be able to advertise their work experience placements free of charge. Students can then browse and apply for the advertised positions, while building a portfolio of their achievements.

Oliver comments, “I can’t recommend FoodStart enough – it’s a brilliant idea. We need people with all kinds of backgrounds and skills working in food, and whether you’re a genius or a hard grafter, I know first hand that this industry has never been more dynamic.

“This generation and the next will make the biggest impact on the food industry we’ve ever seen.”

The FoodStart website, which has already attracted support from Warburtons, Waitrose, Cornelius Group, Adelie, FTC, Barfoots, R-Biopharm Rhone, Leatherhead Food Research and Campden BRI, will bring together UK-wide work experience at all levels, from school and university-based programmes to graduate placements and internships, allowing organisations to showcase their opportunities and attract new talent.

“Right now, in the UK and around the world, this business is at the heart of some really exciting innovations, and as so much of the industry is focused on doing the right thing for farmers, land, the planet and, of course, consumers, it really is a wonderful time to be starting out,” says Oliver.

Jon Poole, chief executive of IFST, adds, “Our sector relies on fresh talent to ensure that we have sufficient skills to meet the sector’s future needs. However, attracting a sufficient number of students to the food and drink sector is an ongoing challenge. The FoodStart project is our solution – a one-stop website that will bring work experience options to those considering a career in food.”