30 March 2015

Future food engineers descend on London to meet industry experts

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Applicants to the UK's only masters in food engineering course had their first taste of the exciting work taking place in food and drink manufacturing at an event led by industry's top engineers.

Representatives from Coca-Cola Enterprises, Nestlé UK & Ireland, PepsiCo UK and Twinings, gave young people considering an engineering career in food and drink manufacturing sector first-hand insight into sector careers at the annual Food Engineers of the Future event.

Applicants to the MEng Food Engineering course at Sheffield Hallam University and other young people interested in the sector met first-year student ambassadors on the course at the event at London's prestigious Science Museum.

Throughout the day, attendees received talks and advice from engineers who were on hand to interact with students and share their own experiences within the industry. The event was also broken up by a series of engaging practical challenges which gave Delegates a taste of the day-to-day work of a food engineer.

Ian Rigby, Site Engineering Manager at PepsiCo UK, who led the event, said:

“The Food Engineers of the Future event is a great opportunity to bring together young people with a passion for food and share an insight into what our fantastic sector has to offer. The day also provided a glimpse of what students can expect to experience from the MEng Food Engineering degree at Sheffield Hallam. The competitively-paid guaranteed industrial work placements available to students are a real selling point of the course, so it was great for applicants to hear from company mentors who have had similar experiences and are great examples of what awaits anyone who enrolls.”

Lucy Smith, First year MEng Food Engineering student at Sheffield Hallam University, said:

“I loved being involved in last year's event, and it's great to take part again, this time able to share my first hand experience of MEng Food Engineering course with others."

“It's a great way for everyone on the course this year and those interested in joining next to find out more about the career opportunities on offer in food and drink."

“I really appreciated the chance to network with industry mentors and develop the relationships I've gained from the course work placements. The support, tips and advice they've given me is invaluable. We've all dubbed this event 'Inspiration Day' on the course, which is quite appropriate!”

Images from the day are available for download from the FDF Flickr page.

Note to Editors:

1. Link to the MEng Food Engineering at Sheffield Hallam University course page

2. The MEng Food Engineering at Sheffield Hallam University has been developed by Graduate Excellence, a partnership between the Food and Drink Federation, the National Skills Academy for Food & Drink and Sheffield Hallam University.

3. Companies supporting the MEng Food Engineering include: ABP UK part of ABP Food Group, apetito ltd, Arla Foods, Burton's Biscuit Company, Cargill, Coca-Cola Enterprises, Dalehead Foods, F. Duerr & Sons, Fine Lady Bakeries Limited, Finsbury Foods, General Mills, Kavli UK Ltd, KP Snacks, Mars, McCain Foods, Mondelèz International, Muller UK and Ireland Group LLP, Nestlè UK, New England Seafood, New Primebake and Bakavoor, PepsiCo UK, Pork Farms, Premier Foods plc, Silver Spoon, AB World Foods and Jordans & Ryvita, Simpsons Ready Foods Ltd, Tate and Lyle Sugars, United Biscuits, Warburtons, William Jackson Food Group.

4. The Food and Drink Federation (FDF) is the voice of the food and drink manufacturing industry – the UK's largest manufacturing sector.

5. The National Skills Academy for Food & Drink is the food and drink manufacturing industry's skills body. The Academy was created in 2007 to facilitate sector specific training provision to drive up sector productivity and competitiveness in line with employer needs. Training organisations that become part of the Academy undergo rigorous quality checks and include both publicly and privately funded learning centres. Each delivers some aspect of skills development for the food and drink manufacturing industry as a whole, and/or specialist skills for one of its various sub-sectors.

6. Sheffield Hallam University is one of the UK's largest universities with more than 36,000 students, 27,000 of which are undergraduates. The University has the fourth highest number of postgraduate taught students in the UK and runs approximately 580 different courses. The University is England's largest provider of courses that involve work placements (such as a year in industry) and 91 per cent of the University's graduates are in work or further study six months after graduation.

7. Graduate Excellence has received co-investment from the UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES) through the Employer Investment Fund.

For more information contact:

FDF's press office 020 7420 7120 press.office@fdf.org.uk

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