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FEED: Improving the recruitment of young people in the food sector in Norway

The Feed project was a common project of the Norwegian social partners in the food and drink industry from 2011 to 2014.

Aim of Feed was to improve the recruitment of young people to the food and drink sector in Norway and make the sector better known for its good working conditions, interesting jobs, opportunities for vocational training also providing good opportunities for people with an academic degree.

Objectives
  • Increase the number of applicants to education relevant to the FD sector (both vocational and higher education)
  • One of the key objectives is to motivate young people (and their parents) to enter a career in the FDMP.
  • Visibility of the sector and contributing to developing relevant continuous education and training for the food and drink industry
  • Minimize competency gaps in the food and drink industry up to 2020.
  • Make sure that the project work is safeguarded beyond the project’s period.

Outcome and achievements

  • Development of a website with information of various jobs, educational possibilities and career possibilities in the FDMP: www.jobbimatbransjen.no.
  • Sector specific skills and competence requirements were identified and submitted to the Norwegian Directorate for Education and Training. Objective was to update the content of vocational training and to include a cross-area specialization combining food and technological skills. This was approved and implemented from August 2014 onwards.
  • Mappings of competence and recruitment needs in the sector.
  • Better and increased awareness on importance of these issues among employers and union representatives in order to secure future competiveness in the food and drink sector.
  • Improved cooperation between educational institutions and workplaces.
  • The project established cooperation between the social partners for a better recruitment of young people to the food industry. Currently, the social partners are working on strengthening cooperation between educational institutions and workplaces in order to secure relevant education and skilled workers in the FD sector in the future.

Costs

The project was financed through different sources: the social partners NNN and NHO, the Agriculture and Food Ministry, a common fund for employers and unions for cooperation in the workplaces and enterprises participating.