The Sgiliau Bwyd a Diod Cymru / Food & Drink Skills Wales Programme has launched new educational resources at the RWAS Winter Fair; a resource to empower young people to explore the vast opportunities in the food and drink industry.

Author Lloyd Henry, an inspiring Food Technology teacher at Ysgol Gyfun Gŵyr, has developed a comprehensive career guide focused on the Welsh food and drink industry, outlining various career paths and the steps needed to achieve success in this field. The guide covers a wide range of roles and detailed advice on the qualifications, skills and experience required for each role.

Working with Hybu Cig Cymru | Meat Promotion Wales (who hosted the launch), Tasty Careers Wales, AMRC Cymru, Horeb Food Centre Wales, Hwb and the British Nutrition Foundation; this resource was developed as an engaging, innovative and interactive bilingual online educational resource for Key Stages 3 and 4 GCSE Business and/or Catering Students.

A number of careers and the professionals in the roles within the food and drink industry are featured in the booklet; such as Rhian Jones, Food Technologist at Food Centre Wales, Zara-lea Field, Technician Apprentice at AMRC Cymru, and Craig Holly, Training Assessor, Butchery and Food Production at Cambrian Training. They share how they chose their career paths, along with some practical tips for those who wish to explore a career in the industry.

To coincide with the 34-page digital booklet, 8 bilingual video case studies have also been created, giving additional insight into what the different roles within the sector can offer.

Lloyd Henry said: “I was delighted to be invited to develop this resource. The aim is to raise awareness and promote discussions about the careers available within the food and drink Industry in Wales - with particular focus on promoting careers in food technology, butchery and engineering.”