Scotland’s young people more likely to see food and drink as a career, not just a first job
With Britain facing a youth unemployment crisis, new research shows this could be down to young people struggling to articulate their strengths to employers
Three in four (76%) 16-19-year-olds say they need help putting their skills into words before speaking to employers, and 73% say they have skills that are not reflected in their CV, according to the new research.
A further seven in ten (71%) say they do not believe they have any skills or abilities that would be useful to an employer, according to the study from the IGD (Institute of Grocery Distribution). A lack of self-confidence is also a significant hurdle young people face when applying for jobs (34%), rising to 41% among young women.
The findings come as the number of 16-24-year-olds not in education, employment or training (NEET) nears a million, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS) data, and ahead of the landmark Milburn Review, a major report into youth activity in the UK due to be published this month.
The food and drink industry in the UK employs over 4.1 million people - more than one in every eight UK workers - but labour and skills shortages continue across the food system.
Data shows an average of 22,000 vacancies in the food system were advertised at any one time in 2025. Too many young people do not see the industry as a place to build their future, with a lack of knowledge of the variety of roles available cited as the biggest barrier.
Whilst only 18% of 16-19-year-olds had considered working in the sector, 86% admit they would be more likely to once shown the range of roles available. And 82% say they would look into the industry if someone showed them how their everyday skills and interests could lead to a job in the sector, with seven in 10 (71%) stating they feel application forms don’t let them show what they can do.
The research was released as part of the IGD’s Feeding Britain’s Future movement, an initiative backed by 95 businesses, including all major retailers, and leading manufacturers to bring the food and drink industry together to help young people gain experiences of work, build confidence, recognise their skills and discover the exciting careers the sector has to offer.
The findings show many young people are already building valuable and transferable skills in their everyday lives without realising. A quarter (26%) create or stream content online, one in four (25%) help settle disagreements between friends, and almost a quarter look after siblings or family members (24%), play competitive video games (24%) or organise plans and events for friends and family (23%).
To help young people realise they do have skills that food and drink employers want, Jordan Schwarzenberger, co-founder of Arcade, visited a youth centre. He showed young people how their interests equip them with skills that are ideal for roles in food and drink, such as engineering technicians, product developers, supply chain managers, food buyers or store managers.
Jordan Schwarzenberger said: “The UK’s food and drink industry needs the next generation and young people have the talent that is needed. All young people have things that they are passionate about and that translates into important skills that food and drink employers value highly - the problem is they don’t always realise that or know how to express their skills.
“I know from personal experience that working in food and drink is a really exciting thing to do. There are all sorts of entry-level roles available and there’s a real chance to progress into a long-term, rewarding career, and it’s an industry that is open to everyone, in every postcode.”
Sarah Bradbury, CEO at IGD, said: “Almost a million young people are out of work and education, and what struck us in this research is how many of them think they’ve got nothing to offer an employer.
“That’s concerning to hear because the food and drink industry is crying out for exactly the talent that young people have. Everyday activities like solving problems amongst friends, running a group chat or gaming all help build skills that our industry needs.
“Food and drink is the UK’s largest private sector employer, and there are amazing jobs available across engineering, science, technology and more that most young people have never heard of.
“Feeding Britain’s Future is about showing them those jobs exist, giving them experiences of work and giving them the confidence that they have the skills our industry is looking for. They don’t need a certain background or education, they just need to be willing to work hard and give it a go.”
Wider industry efforts to help young people into work include Opening Shift, a work experience programme developed by leading retailers through the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and the Department for Work and Pensions. Retailers will offer two- to four-week placements to 18–24-year-olds not in education, employment or training, helping them build the skills and confidence to take their first step into work.
Helen Dickinson, chief executive of the British Retail Consortium, said: “With almost a million young people out of education, employment or training, helping them build confidence and get that first experience of work has never been more important.
“Retail is uniquely placed to offer that first step, with opportunities in every community and pathways into a huge range of careers. Initiatives like Feeding Britain’s Future, alongside the BRC’s Opening Shift programme, can help more young people build their confidence, develop valuable skills and start their careers.”
To help young people see how their everyday interests have equipped them with core skills that are needed in the food and drink industry and the roles that might be right for them, Feeding Britain’s Future has launched a quiz which can be found at feedingbritainsfuture.co.uk.
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