Labour shortages and skills gaps are creating “a ticking workforce timebomb” for the UK’s food industry, a report has warned.
The warning from the Institute of Grocery Distribution (IGD) has coincided with the launch of a cross-industry initiative, ‘Mmmake Your Mark’, designed to attract talent to the sector by raising awareness of the breadth of diverse career opportunities available.
In the next 10 years, the UK population will grow from 69.9 million to 73.4 million, the IGD has warned, meaning that more food and drink will be needed.
Some of this will be sourced from abroad but, realistically, UK food and drink capacity will have to increase to meet the population demand, it said.
“With existing workforce challenges set to worsen, it’s critical for businesses to think about tomorrow’s workforce today, by recruiting and training the people they need now,” the IGD said.
“An important part of that process is attracting young talent into the food system at the start of their careers, as well as highlighting that the range and flexibility of industry roles is a strong option for those currently struggling to access work,” it added.
Last year, 4.2 million people worked in the food and drink supply chain in the UK, making up around 13% of all employment, or more than one in eight jobs, it said.
When the Mmmake Your Mark ran last year, 55 businesses came together reaching more than seven million people on social media, the IGD said.
This year, the institute is calling on more businesses to get involved, to create even greater impact.
On Thursday 27 August, it will therefore be encouraging all businesses across the food system to post on social media about careers in the industry and to share any other posts using the hashtag #mmmakeyourmark or tag @mmmakeyourmark.
Sarah Bradbury, CEO of IGD, said: “The workforce timebomb is something we simply cannot ignore as an industry. If we fail to take collective action, not only will it have a commercial impact for businesses, it also becomes a UK food security issue, affecting accessibility of food and inflation.”
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