Recently in Graduate Food Blog Category

In the midst of the recession, when thousands of people were being made redundant due to budget cutbacks, McDonald's was busy creating new opportunities for employees. With a strong focus on individual employee development and progression, the fast food corporation is changing the perception of its food jobs as dead-end 'McJobs'.

A key example of this is Marcus Collins, who has just been named the 1,000th apprentice at McDonalds after only working at a St Albans branch of the company for six months.

Collins, 24, who was previously made redundant from a position at a Mayfair, has now been awarded an Apprenticeship in Hospitality from McDonalds. He is currently working towards a Level 3 Diploma in Shift Management, hoping to go on to become a franchisee owning his own business.

Describing what first attracted him to a food job at McDonald's, Collins has said:

"After I was made redundant, McDonald's stood out because it was totally different from my office based job and it seemed that all employees had the chance to progress as far as they wanted to.

"I now recommend the Apprenticeship scheme to everyone. The training requires hard work and dedication, but I received a lot of support from my team and completing the programme has given me a great sense of achievement, as well as opportunities to develop further within the company or elsewhere."

Improve, the food and drink sector skills council, has this week announced that government funding has been secured for a new training programme aimed at getting school leavers into food jobs.

Called the Food and Drink Sector Routeway Training Programme, the new scheme will be funded by the government-run Young Person's Guarantee, and run by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). The DWP already offers training and job opportunities to out-of-work young people aged 18 to 24.

As part of the new programme, Improve has issued an invitation to local employers in the North West to join a steering group. As well as helping to develop the programme, participating employers will help to ensure that training for young people is continually relevant to the needs of the fast-changing food and drink industry.

The director of skills solutions at Improve, Justine Fosh, commented on the new programme, saying:

"Food and drink is one industry where there are still plenty of employment opportunities, especially for young people. The industry needs more young people coming into it because its workforce is ageing and we are anticipating a high demand for new recruits to replace those who retire or otherwise leave the industry over the coming years - something in the region 15,000 job places in the North West alone by 2017."

J.D Wetherspoon has this week announced plans to create around 1,000 new food jobs for school leavers.

The national pub chain has over 780 outlets throughout the UK, and school leavers aged 16 and 17 will be hired to work in them as part of the company's plans to expand food job opportunities for young people.

Wetherspoon has said that the new positions will not involve bar work, but food and hot beverage service as well as kitchen work.

The most attractive aspect of the plan for school graduates is that they will have the opportunity to study for qualifications that will help them to progress in the food industry whilst also earning money. The young employees will be encouraged to work towards NVQs, and a professional diploma and honours qualification should they reach management level.

The chain, which already employs approximately 200 young people in food jobs throughout the UK, is planning to create the new positions within a year, and has pledged to pay the new employees more than minimum wage.

Head of personnel and training at J.D. Wetherspoon, Mandy Ferries, has summed up how this new scheme will benefit school leavers, saying:

"We can offer them the chance to study as part of their work as well as progress within the company."

The news that a new multi-million pound Tesco supermarket is set to open in Newport has caused quite a stir in the Welsh city, as it has also been revealed that around 400 new food jobs will be created.

Construction on the new store, which is actually a redevelopment of a Tesco Extra shop on Spytty Road, will start in February 2011. The existing store - incidentally named 'the luckiest place to buy a lottery ticket in the UK' after two customers bought their winning tickets there - is being expanded in order to meet growing demand.

Once completed, the new supermarket will be 12,765 square metres in size and have a car park underneath. This sort of design has been called 'a store on stilts'.

Tesco has said that around 400 new food jobs will be created upon the store's opening, with local people taking priority to fill most of the positions.

Energy efficiency

In addition to creating new food jobs, Tesco has also made a concerted effort to make their new superstore 'green' and sustainable. Planned eco-efficient measures include:

• Using natural refrigeration units
• Installing specially designed skylights to optimise natural light
• Harvesting rainwater for flushing toilets

After Hull, the city of Sunderland is reportedly the worst place in the UK for jobless young people not in work, training or education. In response to recent statistics suggesting that around 9.45 per cent of young people under 25 in the city are on unemployment benefits, councillors have suggested to Sunderland City Council that young people be trained up in food jobs.

Labour councillor for Houghton, Kath Rolph, suggested to the committee that unemployed and otherwise unoccupied young people in Wearside should become more involved in the local food industry, becoming specialist butchers, bakers and cheese makers.

Councillor Rolph claims there is a growing market in the area for artisan food products and the council should be using this to their advantage, to boost employment and the local economy in Wearside. She also said that not only are people becoming more interested in where their food comes from, but a new artisan food college has been set up recently in the area.

Councillor Micahel Arnott - chair of the committee meeting - agreed with Councillor Rolph's views, saying:

"I think we need some fresh thinking on employment opportunities. We do seem to get channelled down a particular route,"

Do you think this is the right way for the council to deal with Sunderland's unemployment problems or should other measures be implemented? Please feel free to leave your comments.

International fast food company McDonalds has launched a revamped work experience and placement programme for students aged 14 -19, an initiative that fully supports the Work Inspiration Campaign.

The Work Inspiration Campaign is a Business in the Community-led initiative that encourages UK food job employers to offer more varied and stimulating work experience placements for young people. Since it launched back in September 2009, the Campaign has been working with UK employers towards one ultimate goal: 10,000 improved work placements by September 2010.

Many big-name companies are on board, including Marks & Spencer, BT, Royal Mail and McDonalds. The latter of these has always been known as a forward-thinking promoter of food job development, and the company's latest work experience scheme demonstrates to a further extent.

As part of the new McDonald's programme, students aged between 14 and 19 will have the chance to gain valuable transferable skills and support their curriculum education whilst on a stimulating 10 day experience as part of the McDonald's team.

Regional bosses believe that skills such as teamworking and customer service can be taken forward into any food job, whilst the experience as a whole showcases what career opportunities are available to young people in the UK.

Out of all of the industries currently working to keep the UK economy ticking over, the food and drink industry has to be one of the most valuable contributors. There will always be a need for food and drink companies and businesses, and there are thousands of food jobs available.

But why get one? Well, apart from the availability of food jobs and the success of the industry, there are also factors such as job satisfaction, a plethora of opportunities for career progression, financial rewards and many other benefits available to persuade you.

Facts and figures

Every year, the food and drink industry in the UK generates a turnover of approximately £77.4 billion, and over 460,000 people are employed in food jobs. What's more, due to the continuing growth of the industry and increasing demand for food supplies, it is estimated that the sector will need 137,000 new employees by the year 2017, so there are bound to be lots of opportunities available in a diverse variety of fields.

The following are just a few examples of the types of trained and skilled new recruits the country will need:

• Machine operators
• Managers
• Skilled craftsmen
• Technical operators

From this, you should be able to see that food jobs are not simply about selling or serving food. There is a fascinating world going on behind the scenes in food production and manufacturing, and people with the specialist qualifications and skills to fill these roles will be indispensible to the food industry in the future.

For graduates or those looking for food jobs in manufacturing, apprenticeship courses can be extremely beneficial. They encourage you to undertake on-the-job training, make valuable industry contacts, and provide you with a way into your chosen field. Food manufacturing is a wide and varied industry, but specialised apprenticeships are adaptable enough to provide you with the relevant skills for your chosen area.

Benefits for apprentices

• You can get a recognised qualification and learn valuable skills whilst still earning money

• You will be able to choose from a wide variety of different roles and sectors, and have your apprenticeship tailored to allow you to meet job-specific requirements

• The apprenticeship courses are flexible with regards to which style of learning you prefer - off-the-job classroom learning or practical, hands-on experience

• Excellent opportunities for career progression, as you can complete and move through levels. This means that in the future, you will be set to make more money from your chosen food job due to more advanced levels of training.

Benefits for employers

Food job employers also benefit from taking on apprentices. They not only receive recognition and funding for offering apprenticeships, but they also benefit from a more skilled, trained and educated workforce.

In response to concerns raised over the future of food manufacture in the UK, highlighted at the Oxford Farming Conference recently, the University of Lincoln has launched two new specialist food courses. Pupils hoping to go into food jobs will now be able to choose a specialty thanks to the new BSc (Hons) in Food Manufacture and BSc (Hons) in Agriculture and Environmental Management.

The Principal Lecturer at the University of Lincoln, David Stainton, explained the introduction of these courses. He believes that the concerns raised at the recent national conference over whether Britain will be able to produce enough food to feed the growing population in the future are well-founded, and that there is a very real need for highly skilled, trained and technical graduates in the fields of Agriculture and Food Manufacture.

BSc (Hons) Agriculture and Environmental Management
The university devised this new programme after recognising a gap in the sector when it comes to skills and specialist education. Rapid technological developments also mean that those in food jobs in the future will need to be highly skilled, with a detailed understanding of plant, animal and soils science.

BSc (Hons) Food Manufacture
This course is designed to feed graduates directly into the food supply chain, giving them a thorough understanding of both advanced and sustainable manufacturing operations.

If you are passionate about food and want a career in the food industry, then graduate training schemes are the perfect way to get ahead. And in today's difficult job market, standing out from other applicants is more important than ever.

Graduate training schemes are the next step up from higher education training courses, as they provide you with hands-on experience in a particular food job, where you learn everything about your chosen industry whilst accumulating valuable skills and experience. So, if you have just finished your university course and are looking for a way into the food industry, there are training schemes available to you in the following areas:

• Product development - developing new recipes, equipment and techniques
• Food technology -the scientific and technical aspects of food manufacturing
• Finance - overseeing accounts and finances of the business to ensure operations run smoothly
• Quality control - ensuring that all products and practices meet the highest regulations and standards

Besides these, there are many other areas you can work in. Graduate training schemes also allow you to work in a variety of environments and make any number of valuable contacts, but the main advantage is that they are often fast-track schemes. This means that completing these training programs may mean that you are eligible for higher-level food jobs than if you started at ground level and worked your way up. For anyone interested in a food job, graduate training schemes are definitely worth considering.