New Partnership Targets Food Industry Engineering Skills Gap

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EngineeringUK and Institute of Grocery Distribution (IGD) have teamed up to launch an exciting new partnership aimed at boosting young people's understanding of engineering and the career paths available in the food and grocery sector.

With a noticeable shortage of engineering and technology skills in the food and drink industry, this collaboration will focus on creating a fresh outreach program designed to engage and inspire the next generation.

The initiative will offer interactive workshops that align with the school curriculum, reaching out to state secondary schools across the UK. This means thousands of students will have the chance to dive into engineering roles within the food industry. Plus, the program aims to broaden its impact by providing teachers with the tools and confidence they need to talk about engineering careers in the food and drink sector with their students.

This partnership comes at a crucial moment for the industry, as nearly half (48%) of hiring managers in the food sector say that engineering roles are the hardest to fill.

Maddie Dinwoodie, Director of Engagement Programmes at EngineeringUK, stated:

“We are delighted to be collaborating with IGD to ensure more young people are aware of the wide range of exciting engineering careers available in the food industry. By combining our expertise, we are developing an engaging new programme that will inform and inspire the next generation.

“High-quality STEM outreach programmes like this are essential for driving long-term change and ensuring young people from all backgrounds are interested in, and able to access, engineering and technology career opportunities. With diversity remaining a key challenge in widening the talent pool, this programme will particularly focus on reaching young people who are underrepresented in engineering and technology roles within the food industry.”

Sarah McCarthy, Head of Employability Programmes at IGD, added:

“We are excited to partner with EngineeringUK to inspire the next generation of engineers for the food and drink industry. This initiative presents an excellent opportunity to help build a workforce capable of addressing critical skills shortages and future challenges, while also supporting greater diversity and representation in STEM careers.

“Few industries offer such a wide range of exciting and meaningful career opportunities. For young people who want their work to reflect their values—whether that is tackling climate change, driving sustainability or improving public health—the food and drink industry offers the chance to make a real difference.”

We're currently in the thick of designing and developing a new program, with plans to kick off a pilot phase in schools this summer.

This exciting initiative is the newest addition to EngineeringUK Education’s lineup of school programs, all aimed at inspiring young people from diverse backgrounds to explore careers in engineering and technology.

IGD has already made a significant impact, supporting over 130,000 young people in more than 30% of UK secondary schools through its employability workshops. You can find more details about IGD’s social impact programs on their website.

EngineeringUK is actively encouraging more organizations to get involved in STEM outreach activities to help cultivate a strong future workforce. Helping organisations promote STEM careers to young people. Any organization that designs, delivers, supports, or funds STEM outreach is warmly invited to join The Tomorrow’s Engineers Code.