Wednesday, October 27, 2010

FOOD GLORIOUS FOOD

An article in the Independent on Sunday makes a fascinating observation about one of the key sectors expected to grow during the next few years.

According to the paper,

"Leading the way is the food and drink manufacturing sector, which employs nearly 440,000 people and invests more than £1.1 billion a year on research and development – comparable to the automotive sector".


"The Food and Drink Federation said that over the next seven to 10 years the industry needed to hire 137,000 new recruits. Angela Coleshill, FDF's human resources director, said of that total, 45,000 people are needed to fill higher-skills roles such as senior management and technical positions. The sector's population is ageing and, in the next seven to 10 years, around one-fifth will retire," she said. "Our big challenge is replicating this knowledge and people." The total number of apprenticeships in the sector had doubled in the past 12 months to 2,500, she added, but this was "still not enough".

Indeed, as the Welsh Assembly Government notes, the Welsh agriculture and food production industry is undergoing a transformation designed to realise its full potential as a major force in the economy.

Given this, you have to wonder why the food and drink sector was NOT chosen as one of the six priority sectors for the economy?