Workforce and employment

Building awareness of the wide range of career opportunities available within our sector is a key step to ensure a strong pipeline of workers for years to come.  Many of our members engage with a number of different careers-focused initiatives nationally or in their local area.  If you are looking to start engaging in this area, or expand the work you are doing, the FDF can help guide you through the process.

Food and Drink Careers Passport

The Food and Drink Careers Passport from the National Skills Academy for Food and Drink is your passport to all the essential knowledge you need for working in UK Food & Drink Manufacturing.

Developed in partnership with the Food and Drink Federation and major food and drink manufacturing businesses, the Food and Drink Careers Passport is an employability tool which provides jobseekers in England and Wales the opportunity to gain pre-entry training and accreditation in four essential food safety and compliance courses, all endorsed by Food Safety and HACCP.

Learn more about the Passport

Pledge your support for the Passport

Early Careers Support

IFST Education and Careers

  • Love Food Science teaching resources
  • Project Inspire Careers maps for technical food roles

IGD Employability Programmes

  • School partnerships
  • Volunteering opportunities

NSAFD Tasty Careers

  • Support for students, parents and teachers to educate on careers in food and drink.

Careers & Enterprise Company

  • Developed Employer Standards to help employer focus their work with school and colleges.

Continuing Professional Development

IGD - Development Courses

  • Free courses for industry professionals to build their skills.

IFST Continuing Professional Development

  • Offers CPD standards and learning activities.

IFST Professional Recognition

  • Support for professional recognition and improvement across a range of career development pathways.

Employee Recognition

Do you have exceptional employees that you wish to recognise?  There are many opportunities for you to celebrate the amazing people working in our sector:

FDF Awards 2024 – details will be announced soon!

National Apprenticeship Week – ‘Skills for Life’ (5-11 February 2024)

Share a case study with the FDF!

Career Fairs

The Big Bang Fair (19-21 June 2024)

New Scientist Live (12-14 October 2024)

For more details on the above, please contact Tanya.