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 | | MD URGES INDUSTRY TO TACKLE GRADUATE SHORTAGE | | | Improve | | 21/04/2008 | | | The head of leading cereals processor Nairn’s Oatcakes has joined sector skills council Improve in urging employers to do more to attract graduate recruits into the food and drink manufacturing industry.
Managing director Mark Laing says forming better ties between the industry and education establishments would go a long way towards solving the shortage of highly skilled food scientists and technologists which is currently blighting many companies.
Nairn’s recently signed up to an agreement with the University of Abertay in Dundee to take one food science undergraduate per year on a work placement. Mr Laing said the investment needed to run such schemes in order to encourage more new talent into the industry was minimal.
“In terms of money, the investment is tiny,” he said. “There is a certainly a time commitment, but I believe any time spent on getting people with the right skills into the industry is time well spent. The crux of the matter is that we need to form better links with education. We need to get into schools so we can give pupils a better understanding of what food and drink manufacturing is about and the careers options available. And we need to let universities know that there is a real demand for food scientists. Food science and technology courses are expensive to run, and universities will only offer them in response to an identified need.”
According to Improve, the body responsible for training in the food and drink manufacturing industry, as many as one in four vacancies for food scientists and technologists remain vacant, mostly in new product development rolls. Improve say the shortage is hampering many companies’ attempts to move to higher added-value operations.
Jack Matthews, chief executive of Improve, said: “Food scientists drive innovation in food manufacture, and boosting their numbers in the industry is a key means of increasing productivity and profits. It is a wonderfully diverse subject offering a whole range of career paths with fantastic rewards.”
With the first undergraduate placement at Nairn’s recently completed, Mr Laing is keen to point out to other companies the benefits he has found in running the scheme. “I am a firm believer in seeing is believing,” he said. “The more companies see links with education working for their rivals, the more inclined they will be to get involved.”
He also believes employers should stop seeing work placements as a hindrance and instead look at the positive impact they can have on a business. “We had a mature student come in on a 10-week placement,” he continued. “I asked her to carry out an analysis of our efficiencies, how we measure and manage yields and waste. It is something that we have wanted to look at for a while but have not been able to spare the time. It was great to have someone come in from outside with a fresh pair of eyes and the time to carry out the project. I was very impressed with her enthusiasm, knowledge, application and sense of initiative. I think the experience has been very helpful for everyone involved and I’m confident our link with Abertay will now lead to other opportunities for collaboration.”
Photo caption: Nairn’s Oatcakes MD Mark Laing with work placement student Martha McCulloch. Mr Laing says forming better links with schools, colleges and universities will help the food and drink industry tackle the shortage of food scientists it is facing. | |
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