Food manufacturers’ recruitment campaign wins award

The campaign scooped the Silver Laurus award for the most outstanding production achieved with a budget of £15,000 or less at the International Visual Communications Association (IVCA) awards.

‘Taste Success – A Future in Food’ is FDF’s industry-led campaign to attract new talent to UK food and drink manufacturing. The campaign aspires to engage with young people via various channels including online, to bust the myths about food and drink manufacturing and raise awareness of the good career prospects that the industry has to offer.

Terry Jones, FDF’s director of communications, said: “We are delighted to have won the IVCA’s Silver Laurus Award for Taste Success. This campaign breaks new ground for the FDF and for it to have been recognised by the judges in this way is exceptional.​

‘Chilli baby’​

“To realise our vision, shared with the government, of 20% growth by 2020 we know that the food industry will require many more talented individuals with the right skills to join its ranks. The viral videos including the internet hit ‘Chilli Baby’​ and the interactive elements of Taste Success are encouraging young people to consider food and drink as a career of first choice and, ultimately, join Britain’s largest manufacturing sector.”​

The awards, which took place in London, celebrate excellence in effective business and public sector communications in video, interactive projects, business television and digital media.

Bust the myths​

The ‘Taste Success – A Future in Food’ aims to promote careers in food and drink manufacturing to young people using various channels, including online and video. It aims to bust the myths about food and drink manufacturing and raise awareness among youngsters, teachers, parents and careers advisers.

Britain’s largest single manufacturing sector, food and drink accounts for 16% of the UK’s total manufacturing industry. It employs 400,000 people directly and up to 1.2M in related food services.

But statistics show the industry suffers from skills gaps, particularly in science and technology-related roles. To fill that shortfall, the industry will need 137,000 new recruits within four years.

Managerial roles will account for about more than 45,000 of the total with other professional occupations making up about one third.

Meanwhile, for all the latest jobs in food and drink manufacturing, visit Foodmanjobs​.

Taste success aims​

• Engage the 13- to 19-year-old age group in the potential of the industry as a career of first choice
• Change the image of the food sector from being outdated to a sector that is identified as being at the cutting edge of science and technology
• Seize the opportunity to raise the profile of the food and drink manufacturing industry through public relations campaigns, event participation and speaking engagements
• Collaborate with key stakeholders such as Improve, the Institute of Food Science and Technology and the Manufacturing Institute.

Source: FDF