Building Scotland's future food & drink workforce: a call for employer partners
by Emma Koubayssi
As the new Project Co-ordinator for the Scottish Food & Drink Ambassador programme, I'm working on building a network of Employer Partners who can help solve one of our industry's biggest challenges.
The challenge we're facing
Scotland's food and drink industry is booming, but we have a problem. Despite being one of the most innovative sectors in the country, from drone-monitored farms and special cameras to check if fruit is ripe to artificial intelligence keeping our food safe and eco-friendly packaging, young people aren't seeing us as an obvious career choice.
Many people don’t realise that almost everything in food and drink involves science, technology, engineering or maths - even if it’s not always labelled that way. From the quality technician checking if food is safe to eat, to the logistics coordinator making sure products get from factory to shop on time, these skills are everywhere in our industry. And yet, we often don't call them STEM.
In fact, many people working in these roles don’t see themselves as part of “STEM” at all. Helping both employees and young people recognise the skills already in use and how they link to real career pathways is key to making the opportunities in our industry more visible, relatable, and inclusive.
Why employers are the key
But here's the thing - employers are living and breathing this world every day. You can learn more in a day of work experience than in months of studying theory. Now this isn't about criticising education (I’m super passionate about education!), it's about employers bringing learning to life and working hand in hand with educators and schools.
Teachers might teach chemistry or biology, but do they know about the food scientist perfecting a new soup recipe using precise measurements and testing, or the engineer using biology to make whisky production more environmentally friendly? This is the magic when paired with the theory that brings learning and dreams of future careers to life.
So, it makes sense that employees are the ideal ambassadors. They're the ones living and breathing food and drink innovation every day. When a 16-year-old hears from someone whose day job it is to perfect a new haggis recipe or figure out how to get products from factory to shop shelves on time, that's when the penny drops about what's possible.
What's encouraging is that staff are keen to get involved. We know this because we already have nearly 100 Scottish Food & Drink Ambassadors from 33 employers across Scotland and studies consistently show that employees who volunteer report higher job satisfaction and feel more connected to their workplace. They also develop better communication skills, gain confidence, and become part of something bigger than themselves, an intrinsic human need. It's professional development with purpose.
What being an employer partner actually involves
It's simpler than you might think and you may be doing a lot of this already! As an Employer Partner, you're essentially saying: 'We believe in inspiring the next generation, and we'll support our staff to do it.’
This can look like:
encouraging interested employees to sign up as Food & Drink ambassadors
allowing time for volunteering activities (you can even start with just a few hours)
celebrating their involvement internally
having an appointed person in-house to coordinate activities
hosting school visits or work experience placements
supporting career talks or project judging
The beauty is there's no one-size-fits-all approach. A small artisan producer might focus on one local secondary school, while a larger manufacturer might engage across multiple regions. It's about what works for your business.
The benefits are real
For your business:
Talent pipeline development - young people who engage with your company are more likely to consider you as an employer
Community engagement - genuine connections with local schools and colleges
Staff development - employees gain presentation, communication and leadership skills
Brand awareness - positive exposure in your local community
Employee engagement - staff feel proud to represent their company and industry
For your employees:
Free training and ongoing support
Enhanced PVG checks and public liability insurance covered
Flexible volunteering opportunities that fit around work schedules
Professional development through public speaking and mentoring
The satisfaction of making a real difference to young people's futures
For our industry: Every young person who discovers food and drink as a potential career path is a win for all of us. We're not just recruiting for our own companies - we're building the future workforce that will drive innovation across the entire sector.
Ready to get involved?
The Scottish Food & Drink Ambassador programme provides all the support, training, and resources your team needs — and we’re proud to be part of the UK-wide STEM Ambassadors network.
We handle the logistics, connect your ambassadors with appropriate opportunities, and offer additional benefits specifically for the food and drink industry including:
capturing your activity and impact in one place (individual, organisation, and sector level)
marketing support to raise the profile of your activity
providing access to a wider network of people passionate about developing our industry - sharing ideas, best practice, and resources
If you're interested in becoming an Employer Partner, or just want to know more about what's involved, I'd love to hear from you. Drop me an email or connect with me on LinkedIn.