2 Sisters lets unemployed ‘have a go’ at food manufacturing

21-Sep-2014 - Last updated on 23-Sep-2014 at 09:57 GMT

Young unemployed people were given the opportunity to try their hand at work in food manufacturing

Young unemployed people have been given the chance to “have a go” at working in food manufacturing at 2 Sisters Food Group’s Thetford poultry site.

Eight placements were offered throughout the factory with most departments taking a youngster under its wing, the firm said.

The placements were part of a month-long national event, Feeding Britain’s Future (FBF).

Practical experience

FBF’s ‘Skills for Work’ month, which runs throughout September, encourages young people to consider careers in the food industry by bringing them into our factories and offering practical experience.

One of the placements, Synam Vuong, 24, from Thetford, who has been looking for work for six months, said:“I found out about this through the local job centre and I’ve really enjoyed the time here working in dispatch.

“It gave me a much better understanding of the kind of jobs that are here at the factory.”

Bryony Leonard, human resources advisor at the Thetford site who helped coordinate the placements, said: “It’s been great bringing this group of potential future food workers onto site. I think it’s a great thing for 2 Sisters to support and it definitely works.

“Synam has already applied for a job in dispatch with us, so we must have given a good impression during the placement.”

The eight youngsters on Thetford placements were just some of the scores of people who were helped by 2 Sisters during FBF at events organised at sites across the country, she added.

The food and drink manufacturing sector is predicted to need about 170,300 new recruits by 2020.

New Young Talent award

The Food Manufacture Group is celebrating the best young British food and drink manufacturing talent with a new award – New Young Talent of the Year.

The award will be made at the Food Manufacturing Excellence Awards during a glittering awards evening at the Park Lane Hilton in London on November 20.

Look out for our exclusive video with Justine Fosh, chief executive of The National Skills Academy for Food and Drink and Improve, on the award later this week.

To search the latest jobs in UK food and drink manufacturing, visit FoodManJobs.

Meanwhile, 2 Sisters Food Group launched a partnership with 2Degrees, the global collaboration platform for sustainable businesses, to gather views on its sustainability plan.

The firm is seeking views from customers, other companies, governments, non-government organisations and trade bodies on its ‘Feeding our Future’ plan.

Interested parties can get in contact here.