Jobs and Careers Summer 2023 - 365

FOOD MANUFACTURING
A recipe for good health
Food manufacturing can be a challenging industry to
work in, particularly for those in factories and plants
Food processing facilities tend to function around the clock,
meaning staff may be working unsociable hours or changing
shift patterns. The resulting fatigue and disruption of their
body clocks makes workers more vulnerable to accidents at
work, especially when operating machinery, due to lowered
reaction time, awareness and memory.
Shift work is also linked with mental health problems such
as depression, and physical health issues such as disturbed
appetite and digestion, relying on sedatives or stimulants,
increased vulnerability to infection, and even a raised risk
of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and epilepsy.
Organisations including the Health & Safety Executive
have been raising awareness of this, and advising on the
importance of assessing and managing issues - not only for
the good of the workers themselves, but also in improving
efficiency and reducing sickness and absenteeism, accidents
and compensation claims, and staff turnover.
This may involve careful management of shift patterns
(for instance, the body adapts better to forward-rotating
schedules rather than backwards-rotating), opening up
channels to listen to staff about their experiences and safety
concerns, conducting risk assessments in the working
environment and acting on the findings. Food manufacturing
companies are also increasingly developing mental health
policies and wellness strategies to support their staff.
What qualifications and skills do I need?
Maths and English GCSEs will normally
be required, and you'll need to display
attention to detail and be a good team
player. It's often shift work, so you may
need to work unsociable hours.
How much can I earn? Around £19,000,
with the possibility of apprenticeships
or other training to open up paths to
promotion and higher earning potential.
Engineer
Food production on a scale required to
keep the nation fed requires some serious
machinery, which needs to be maintained.
Engineers ensure factories are always
running at their full potential, which
includes diagnosing faults and repairing
machinery, carrying out maintenance,
providing operator training and devising
ways to improve production.
What qualifications and skills do I need?
Some jobs require a degree, but many
are open to those with NVQ Level 3 in
electrical or mechanical subjects. You'll
need to display the ability to learn quickly
and adapt to new systems.
How much can I earn? It depends on the
role - a maintenance engineer will earn
around £29,000, while an electrical
engineer's average salary is a little higher,
and multi-skilled engineer salaries are
normally around £35,000.
Marketing executive
If people are going to buy a company's
products, they need to know about them
- and that's where marketing comes
in. You'll be developing and overseeing
publicity campaigns, analysing data to
understand customers' needs, pitching
and presenting ideas, and devising
creative marketing strategies.
What skills and qualifications do I need?
You need to be a creative thinker and well
organised, with excellent planning, IT
and writing skills. You'll usually need
a foundation degree, HND or a degree
in marketing, advertising or a related
business subject. Apprenticeships, where
you can gain formal qualifications while
you work, are available at some firms.
How much can I earn? From £18,000 to
£35,000 as a new starter. Marketing
managers can make £45,000 to £60,000;
marketing directors can earn £100,000.
Stock controller
Raw materials are essential to the smooth
running of a food manufacturing plant,
and the stock controller oversees these.
When working with perishable goods,
this is a delicately balanced operation
- you have to ensure you have enough of
everything to keep items in production,
but not so much that they go off and
cost the company money. You'll check
deliveries, monitor stock levels, stay on
top of seasonal trends and maximise
warehouse space.
What qualifications and skills do I need?
Employers will be looking for a relevant
degree or other professional qualification,
plus IT and communication skills, and
knowledge of supply chains.
How much can I earn? Around £30,000,
with the potential to progress to more
senior logistic roles.
Food taster
Tasting food for a living might sound like
heaven, but it isn't as simple as saying,
" Ooh, I like that, " or, " Nah, not so keen. "
Tasters are employed to ensure foods
meet the required levels of quality, and
the flavours, textures, colours and so
on are consistent across all units of a
product. You can move from taster to
technologist, where you're more involved
in developing products, to product
development manager, who oversees
a product from concept and formulation
through to trials and launch.
What qualifications and skills do I need?
Most roles require a degree in food
science, food technology or nutrition.
Attention to detail is key, and once you
move on to development, you'll need
project management skills. Since most
products from large companies launch
internationally, languages are a plus.
How much can I earn? Graduates earn
around £25,000; product development
managers can make £45,000 or more.
Find out more
* Food & Drink Federation
fdf.org.uk
* FoodManJobs
jobs.foodmanufacture.co.uk
* Liquid Careers
liquidcareers.com
jobsandcareersmag.com /// JOBS & CAREERS /// 365
CONSTRUCTION &
MANUFACTURING
http://fdf.org.uk http://jobs.foodmanufacture.co.uk http://liquidcareers.com https://www.mondelezinternational.com/Careers/Early-Careers https://www.mondelezinternational.com/Careers/Early-Careers http://jobsandcareersmag.com
Jobs and Careers Summer 2023

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