Mondelēz International opens window of opportunity for unemployed youngsters thanks to nationwide campaign.
A group of unemployed youngsters from Birmingham have gained a valuable insight into the food industry, after visiting Mondelēz International as part of a national campaign designed to improve employment prospects.
Feeding Britain’s Future – Skills for Work Month 2015 is a national campaign led by research and training charity IGD. Now in its fourth year, the initiative is helping to prepare thousands of schoolchildren, young people and the wider unemployed for the world of work by providing an insight into the careers available within the food and grocery industry and employability skills training.
In partnership with Jobcentre Plus, global snack provider Mondelēz International invited individuals to visit its Bournville site, where they gained an understanding of its most famous brands including Cadbury during a site tour.
Joined by UK managing director at Mondelēz International, Phil Greenhalgh, individuals were also able to find out more about its Early Careers programme, which gives young people the chance to develop their work skills through its internships, graduate programmes and apprenticeships.
Phil Greenhalgh, UK managing director at Mondelēz International, said: “The Feeding Britain’s Future campaign provides a wealth of opportunities for young people to discover the world of work, and our business prides itself on supporting campaigns that focus on unemployment and young people.
“Our volunteers were able to provide attendees with a real insight into the manufacturing and food industry and share their CV and career tips. We were delighted to be involved in this campaign for the fourth year running as we believe opportunities like these open many doors for young people.”
The grocery industry is the UK’s biggest private sector employer providing 3.8 million – or one in seven – jobs. Since the Skills for Work Month started in 2012, the campaign has expanded beyond 16-24 year olds and over 200 companies from the industry have taken part.
Joanne Denney-Finch, chief executive at IGD, adds: “Now in its fourth year, Feeding Britain’s Future goes from strength to strength – both in terms of scale and impact.
“This year, we are expanding the programme to cover all age groups. A further 17,000 workshop places are being offered across the UK and this will bring the cumulative total to nearly 60,000 opportunities for unemployed people and schoolchildren by the end of 2015.
“With the introduction of our newly launched Schools Programme, this is the first time any industry has come together to provide a full spectrum of support, from schoolchildren right through to older unemployed people. As Britain’s largest private sector employer, with 3.8m people, our industry is working together to use its scale to have a significant positive impact. We are helping thousands of people by raising awareness of the diverse range of careers available within food and grocery and providing employability skills training.”
For more information about Feeding Britain’s Future visit: www.igd.com/feedingbritainsfuture