SUNEMPLOYMENT
Step up to the plate and grab one of the jobs going in the food and drink industry
New initiative aims to showcase why the sector is such a vital and exciting place to build a career
IT’S an industry we all use daily, but fewer than half of young people have ever considered working in it.
Food and drink is the country’s biggest manufacturing sector by turnover, valued at an incredible £104.4billion.
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It produces brands from Marmite and Weetabix to Cadbury and Pimm’s, and employs over four million people in hundreds of different roles. So why are so few job-seekers biting?
Industry experts point to a lack of understanding about the types of roles available, so a new campaign has been launched to lay out career options.
Called Mmmake Your Mark, the initiative has been cooked up by the Food and Drink Sector Council, the Institute of Grocery Distribution and over 40 other big food firms.
It aims to showcase why the sector is such a vital and exciting place to build a career.
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Sarah Bradbury, CEO of IGD, a commercial research provider, says: “Food and drink is the largest private sector employer in the UK.
“You can pursue a huge range of careers and together we’ll show that it’s a place where each individual can make an impact, with great opportunities for development and progression.”
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While two thirds of under-25s are keen to work in a sector that inspires healthy lifestyles, almost two in five have never received any advice or information about the roles available to them in the food and drink industry.
As well as conventional jobs in food retail, distribution — such as warehouse staff and HGV drivers — and food developers, there are dozens of hi-tech roles including software engineers, data scientists, technologists and biochemists available nationwide.
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According to the ONS and Defra, the UK is home to 457,000 food and agricultural businesses, offering opportunities from small artisan suppliers to global multinationals.
Over 32,500 new manufacturing, wholesale, retail and catering businesses were set up in 2022 alone, providing work for entrepreneurs as well as employees.
I'm a Spoons bartender - we always know when customers are flirting with us, they all do the same thing
Also of increasing importance is the role the industry plays in “food security”, which means protecting the nation’s food supply.
Daniel Zeichner is the Minister for Food Security and one of many MPs backing the Mmmake Your Mark campaign.
He said: “Attracting bright new talent to the industry is vital for the future of food, and this campaign showcases the UK’s food and drink industry as a vibrant place to work.”
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'Creativity, travel and taste tests key to role'
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JASMIN MOORE is Tesco’s Lead Product Development Manager for Trends, Seasonal and Future Foods & Horticulture.
The 32-year-old, from Lancashire, studied textile design at Leeds University, but after spending six months as Christmas products buying manager, she launched her career creating seasonal bakery treats for the supermarket.
She said: “My family and friends at home mostly work in farming or agriculture. With this personal tie to food, I have a desire to educate on where our food comes from.
“My love of food was a massive driver for me. Some of the best things about the job include opportunities for travel as well as eating and tasting excellent food.
“To be a food developer, you must be creative but also need to truly understand your customer so you can work out what the trends are and when they are going to be most relevant for your customers.”
Relative values at work
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THE long-awaited Oasis reunion is set for 2025, but will the warring Gallagher brothers be able to keep the peace until then?
Here, Peter Duris, co-founder of Kickresume, shares his advice on working successfully with a relative.
He said: “Having a family member on your team can be amazing. But, as in the case of the Oasis brothers, it can also mean spending too much time together, or making decisions with someone who knows how to push your buttons.”
1. Don’t let the fact you are family shape how you treat each other at work: Try not to favour your family members over others. At the same time, have the same expectations for them as you do for others. Expecting more could harm your personal relationship.
2. Set clear boundaries between work life and personal life: For example, you could choose to use email only for work communication, while using messaging apps for family-related stuff.
3. Employ fairly: When hiring a family member, make sure that it is clear what their role and responsibilities are.
4. Get used to the hierarchy: When your dad or brother is your boss, it can feel strange. Remember that your work is separate from your family, and try not to take their feedback too personally.
5. Keep emotions in check: It’s easy to let family dynamics play out in a way that would be unprofessional with other colleagues. If you are arguing with your relative at work, try to stay calm.
Big stay's low pay
THE pandemic sparked the “Great Resignation”, but the current economic uncertainty has led to a new phenomenon called the “Big Stay”.
Research from recruiters Robert Walters shows 71 per cent of employees are hesitant to move jobs due to worries around job security in a new firm.
Two in five put job security over pay, with 79 per cent of hiring managers seeing more folk declining job offers this year.
Robert Walters CEO Chris Eldridge warned: “Employees reluctant to pursue progression risk stagnating their careers or pigeonholing themselves.
“Statistically, professionals who move jobs more often will earn more over their working life than someone who has chosen to stay put.”
Data is top click
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NO LONGER a role for geeks, the UK’s hottest job of 2024 is a data management officer.
Jobs board CV-Library analysed over 900,000 vacancies to assess the highest number of views, with data roles averaging 8,125.
Working as a theme park historic character was second with 5,143 views and a TikTok presenter was third with 1,357 views.
Other roles with lots of interest included head of social sustainability and emergency call handlers, which had 989 and 700 views, respectively. Openings for train conductors were also popular.
CV-Library founder Lee Biggins said the trend replaces the job-hunter’s traditional dream of being a “doctor, teacher or vet”.
Triple jumpers
YOUNG people aged under 35 are expected to have an average of three different careers over their lifetime, changing jobs 50 per cent more often than their parents did, according to a study.
The biggest reason for switching is to take advantage of new job types, with one in four young jobseekers intending to move roles for an innovative position.
A further 26 per cent would change their jobs to get a better work-life balance, compared to only 14 per cent of over 55s.
However, frequent job hopping means 18 to 34-year-olds expect to take a five-year pension holiday over their working life.
That is twice as long as over 55s, who have skipped just two years of pension payments on average.
Christine Ross, client director at Handelsbanken Wealth & Asset Management, which commissioned the study, said: “Younger people are more likely to be working for longer, and will face more workplace changes driven by rapid tech.”
Brummie trainees earn most
BIRMINGHAM, Bristol and Newcastle are the best cities to find high-paying apprenticeships.
Careers site Best Apprenticeships analysed more than 30,000 roles nationally and found Manchester, Nottingham and Sheffield also offer high levels of the “earn as you learn schemes” offering wages above the minimum wage.
Halifax, Blackpool, Hereford and London’s Sutton saw the lowest average salaries for apprenticeship programmes.
However, the good news for jobseekers is that 97 per cent of apprenticeship job postings now include salary information far in excess of the national average, whereas fewer than half of open vacancy postings mention a salary.
As of April 2024, apprentices in their first year of training now have to be paid a minimum wage of £6.40 per hour.
Catering and hospitality, digital, transport & logistics and protective services provide more than 80 per cent of vacancies paying above the apprentice minimum wage.
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A spokesman said: “While apprenticeships remain a vital pathway to employment and skill development, particularly in high-demand sectors, there is a clear need for continued attention to wage levels to ensure these opportunities are accessible and sustainable for all.”
Find out more information at bestapprenticeships.com/apprentice-job-market-report-2024.
Jobs for extroverts
HR, SALES and PR are the best jobs for extroverts, a new study from jobs platform Indeed reveals.
Danny Stacy, head of Talent Intelligence at Indeed said: “Choosing the right career goes beyond just matching skills and educational qualifications.
It fundamentally involves aligning your job with your inherent personality traits.
“When extroverts find roles that suit their natural tendencies, not only does job satisfaction increase, but productivity often follows suit.”
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