Retail research firm IGD announced on Tuesday that its flagship charitable initiative, 'Feeding Britain's Future', inspired 17,000 young people this year, providing advice and skills for a career in the retail industry.
Two-thousand volunteers from close to 300 food and grocery companies helped showcase the range of jobs available in the industry and hone key skills such as communication, teamwork and decision-making.
The initiative, which has been running for five years, consists of two central programmes: The Schools Programme and Skills For Work Month.
The first program provides guidance and insight in food industry careers. More than 1,200 volunteers, including senior executives of some of the UK's largest food and grocery companies, ventured into the classrooms of 7,500 Year 9 and Year 12 students. Feedback indicated that 91% of students thought the experience assisted them in preparation for the work world.
Skills for Work Month provides practical skills to support young people, and unemployed people of all ages, in their job hunt. Lessons included CV creation and job application tips. In 2016, the event supported 9,500 unemployed individuals in the UK.
A new initiative, launched this year, helped encourage meaningful engagement between companies and local secondary schools. Businesses helped run a range of activities such as a business studies class, factory tours, and Q&A career panels. During the pilot, seven partnerships were established, reaching 300 students.
Joanne Denney-Finch, IGD Chief executive, said: "Our industry is 3.9 million strong, making it the largest private sector employer. Feeding Britain’s Future brings the industry together to inspire the next generation."
The initiative will widen its scope in 2017, offering more learning opportunities to students by running more workshops in secondary schools and increasing the number of partnerships.
© 2016 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Karen Henderson. To subscribe to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine, click here.
