Healthy start for Reading's award-winning food student – University of Reading
18 January 2008A final-year University of Reading food science student will be the first to receive the new Hutchinson Jonas award.
The award was launched last year to encourage students looking to work in the UK's struggling food & drink industry. Winner Stacey Griffin will be presented the award at 2pm on Thursday 24 January at the University of Reading.
The award, which recognises the achievements of a student during their placement in industry, is donated by the Hutchinson Jonas Group, recruitment specialists for the food & drink sector. It aims to illustrate to students that they are joining an industry that is ready to invest in them, as well as acting as an incentive to do well during their placement year. The £500 award will help support Stacey until she finds the right job.
"The food & drink industry suffers from an image of being hard work and long hours for poor reward," said Scott Hutchinson, Managing Director of Hutchinson Consultancy, who launched the award with Jonas Consulting. "Where as the reality is that there are some fantastic opportunities for graduates and now is the best time to get involved."
Stacey, who is in her fourth year of a Food Science degree spent a year working at Katsouris Fresh Foods. For her first sixth months she worked as a quality assurance technologist, for the second six months she looked at the processes involved in new product development.
Stacey said: "The opportunity to gain so much practical experience has given me a real advantage over other graduates. As well as having the chance to apply what I have learnt at university, my placement enabled me to develop a real understanding of the industry. I've really grown in confidence too."
The UK food & drink industry's poor image of hard work and low wages means that fewer students are choosing to study food science at university and the number of graduates entering the industry is at an all time low. So, despite being the one of the largest manufacturing sectors in the UK economy, the food & drink industry is suffering from an escalating skills shortage.
According to Improve, the food & drink sector skills council, food manufacturers need to recruit an extra 118,000 workers by the end of 2014. Currently, the shortage of qualified food scientists means that only one in four food science roles in the UK are filled, leaving over 6,500 vacancies.
"Working in recruitment we see the impact of the skills gap every day. It can be impossible to find qualified candidates for well paid, challenging roles," said Jane Jonas, Director of Jonas Consulting. "We wanted to take a proactive step in wooing the students and hope that the award will help them feel valued by the industry they are about to join, and to understand how in demand they are.
Dr Mike Gordon, Director of Teaching & Learning in the Department of Food Biosciences, said: "The food industry needs managers with up-to-date scientific knowledge who can make informed decisions about the future of their business. Our placement year is a vital stage in the training of future food scientists - it gives students the chance to use their skills in a practical environment and really see how they can make a difference.
"The number of graduates with these kinds of skills and experience has been dropping in the UK. It can be frustrating that students aren't aware of the opportunities open to them. Many don't realise that starting salaries for food scientists are around £2,000-£3,000 more than the average for science graduates. The Hutchinson Jonas award is a great way of adding value to the course and showing our students that there are plenty of employment possibilities for them once they graduate."
Scott Hutchinson added: "We wanted to give the award to the student who had worked hard and succeeded during their placement year. It reflects the fact that they are joining an industry which rewards passion and hard work. I wish Stacey the best of luck in the future."
The award will be presented at 2pm on the Whiteknights campus at the University of Reading.
Ends
Contact:
Press enquiries: Claire Hornshaw, Calico Communication, tel 07769 551751 or email claire@calicocommunications.co.uk. Photos will be available from Calico Communications on Thursday 24 January.
Course enquiries: Mike Gordon, Director of Teaching & Learning in the Department of Food Biosciences, University of Reading, tel 0118 378 6723 or email mike.h.gordon@reading.co.uk