Food firms should boost student work placements: IFST

It drew the conclusions after polling the views of large and small-scale food and drink manufacturers and canvassing colleges and universities about the availability of placements.

While employers are already providing significant levels of work experience and other forms of links with education, employers and colleges needed additional support to make this happen, it said.

More than 70% of employers did offer placements but many also reported that they could provide more. Some employers did not offer placements because they had not been asked to provide them.

Too small for work experience​

Other employers worried they were too small to be able to offer work experience. 

Most employers who offered placements provided one to two roles per year. Larger-scale employers offer upwards of 10 places per year.

The majority of placements were set up through direct relationships between local universities/colleges and employers. But universities and colleges said it was difficult to find sufficient food science and technology placements, particularly ones that meet the specific needs of students. 

Work placements related to food science and nutrition proved the most difficult to find.

IFST Chief Executive, Jon Poole, said: “Work experience, at whatever level, is a great way of attracting new talent into the food sector.​

While there is already a lot of good work happening in terms of the provision of work experience, it is clear that there is so much more that can be done. Work experience is a relatively straightforward and cost-effective way of introducing young people to the career opportunities in the food sector.”​

The IFST also conducted a separate survey studying the problems facing universities and colleges in securing work placements. Its survey was completed by 45 respondents representing 22 colleges or universities specialising in food science and technology or related subjects.

Andrea Parodi, student and bronze winner in the eco-food competition Ecotrophelia UK 2013, highlighted the critical importance of work placements.

‘Competition is tough’​

“There are so many skills that are not, even cannot, be taught at university,”​ said Parodi. “I would recommend that everyone do a work experience placement. As a nutrition student, I was lucky enough to find the placement that I wanted but there aren’t many nutrition-specific placements in the UK at the moment.  The competition is tough, but it is important to do a placement that is relevant to your career or course.”​

The IFST noted a direct link between employer contact through work experience, mentoring and other similar activities and the ultimate employability of young people in the food sector.

The institute plans to develop a new facility to help students find rewarding work placements and build their experience in industry.  This project will be launched in the run up to IFST’s Golden Jubilee in 2014.

The UK food and drink sector generates 3.7M jobs and contributes £96.1bn per year to the UK economy, it said.