IFST and Food Manufacture tackle skills gap and labour shortages with free seminar 31 Jan 2012

IFST, in partnership with Food Manufacture, will be holding a free seminar on Monday 26 March to examine the issues surrounding a potential skills crisis in Britain's food manufacturing sector and highlight new intiatives being launched to address these problems.

Britain’s food manufacturing sector is facing a potential skills crisis, with an ageing workforce, a demand for increasingly skilled workers and an image problem which deterring young people from pursuing a career in food and drink. According to Improve, the sector skills council for food and drink manufacture, around 137,000 new recruits will be needed to replace those retiring over the next five years.

Skills for a changing world of work will examine these issues and the way forward for the industry. The seminar will be split into two parts: Addressing the skills crisis and Vocational training courses. The event will feature presentations from leading industry experts, including:

• Food and Drink Federation on raising the sector's image 
• National Skills Academy on latest training schemes
• UK Commission for Employment and Skills on manufacturing apprenticeship schemes
• IFST on new transferable skills initiative.

There will also be a segment where apprentices will share their experiences of working in the industry, a panel discussion and Q&A, and a presentation on attracting talent to the industry.

Skills for a changing world of work will take place at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) in Birmingham, alongside Food and Drink Expo and Foodex shows, on Monday 26 March from 9.30 to 13.00, followed by a buffet lunch. For more information, including an agenda, and to register for this FREE seminar, visit the Foodman events site.