Resources for employers

Every employer needs to think about how best to recruit, retain and develop staff

Labour shortages mean that most food and drink businesses are competing with other employers and sectors for good staff.

One solution is to offer workforce development and skills development opportunities: as well as making you an employer of choice, they can help you raise productivity and service levels.

Our workforce development resources and links can set you on your way.

Build resilience by building skills

A more skilled and engaged workforce can help businesses of all sizes to weather uncertainties and crises. Read our case studies to get some tips.

Christie the Baker: Learning digital skills helped us through crisis

Christies is a traditional Scottish baker, selling traditional products. During the Covid-19 lockdown, all of us – from our managing director to our bakery and shop staff – learnt new ways to do our jobs.

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Dawnfresh: Our people development programme futureproofs the business

Believing that great people make a great business, Dawnfresh works hard to be an employer of choice. Our investment in areas such as core skills, wellbeing and fair pay served us well during the Covid-19 pandemic.

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Devro plc: Think about risk and develop your people

As a food business, how do you stay ahead of the game? You anticipate what could go wrong (and right) and plan for it. You also invest in people’s training and development. Since we need good engineers to run and improve our manufacturing equipment, we train them ourselves through our apprenticeship scheme.

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Maclean’s Highland Bakery: Resilience comes from treating staff well

Throughout Macleans, we develop our people, look after them and offer work-life balance. Our experience during the Covid-19 pandemic showed the value of building skills and loyalty.

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Mimi’s Bakehouse: How we hardwired adaptability into our business

When crisis hit our family-owned bakery, we were quickly able to adapt the business and move 100% online. The three key ingredients? Investment in digital, social media, and company culture.

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Mimi’s Bakehouse: How we hardwired adaptability into our business

When crisis hit our family-owned bakery, we were quickly able to adapt the business and move 100% online. The three key ingredients? Investment in digital, social media, and company culture.

Read more

Apprenticeships

Foundation Apprenticeship in Food and Drink Technologies

A Foundation Apprenticeship in Food and Drink Technologies provides young people with a nationally recognised qualification, real work experience and the opportunity to find out what careers are available in the Scottish food and drink industry.

Employers

Offering a young person work experience to achieve the Foundation Apprenticeship is an excellent opportunity to engage with your future workforce.

The food industry is the place to be if you want a good future.

Listen to real people talk about their experiences for the Foundation Apprenticeship in Food and Drink Technologies.

Young people share their motivations for doing a foundation apprenticeship. (1 minute video)

Apprenticeship participants explain why they are excited by the idea of a career in food and drink manufacturing. (30 second video)

Three young people share their experiences of the Foundation Apprenticeship in Food and Drink Technologies. (15 seconds)

Become an employer of choice

Apprenticeships

Apprenticeships can help you attract new staff and upskill your employees. Benefits can include better productivity and staff morale, and there’s plenty of support available.

Get more info about apprenticeships

Strengthen your workforce

Developing the Young Workforce (DYW) can help you link up with local schools and colleges and raise your profile locally.

DYW support

Get contact details for your regional group

Doing your own research on what other companies offer staff could strengthen your own workforce development approach  -  Job sites can give insights on this.