September 2013

KP Snacks offers skills training to help tackle unemployment as part of ‘Feeding Britain’s Future’

The initiative is part of the grocery industry’s national ‘Feeding Britain’s Future’ campaign to help tackle youth unemployment.

Free full day workshops are planned at KP Snacks’ sites in Ashby de la Zouch, Consett, Teesside and Rotherham.  Around 60 youngsters will participate in activities designed to help familiarise them with the many opportunities of the food industry as well as boosting  their employability skills and improving their chances of getting a job.

Feeding Britain’s Future – Skills for Work Month 2013 is led by research charity, IGD and takes place throughout September.  It follows the success of a pilot project in 2012, involving the entire food and grocery industry in projects to give young people access to farms, factories and stores and gain first-hand knowledge of the skills needed for a career in the food industry.

Keren McCarron, Corporate Affairs Manager at KP Snacks says:

“We are delighted to open our doors to give youngsters some direct experience of our business.   We have around 14 ‘Feeding Britain’s Future’ events planned across our sites and they are a welcome opportunity for us to improve young people’s understanding about the many opportunities afforded by the food industry, which is one of the most exciting and dynamic sectors of UK manufacturing.

Last year 70 businesses participated in Feeding Britain’s Future in 700 locations around the UK.  The scheme provided 10,000 training opportunities with 98% of participants saying they felt more confident applying for a job. This year the campaign has over 100 companies signed up and expects to offer more than 12,000 opportunities for young unemployed people across 1,000 locations nationwide”.

Joanne Denney-Finch, chief executive, IGD, said:

“The UK food and grocery industry employs 3.7 million people – making us Britain’s biggest private sector employer. With that scale comes responsibility – we have a vital role to play in tackling youth unemployment by sharing our advice and experience.  Feeding Britain’s Future is bringing the industry together to share the rules of the game with young people, we hope they will make the most of this opportunity to develop their skills and grow their confidence.”