Young unemployed took part in national campaign to get into work

Young people from across the UK were given the opportunity to gain the skills they need to help them into sustainable employment when they visited Gist as part of a nationwide campaign to tackle youth unemployment.

Following the success of a pilot project in 2012, the entire food and grocery industry has launched Feeding Britain's Future - Skills for Work Month 2013 and is helping youngsters across the country get into work.

Gist, based at Chineham Park is one of the few logistics companies taking part in the scheme, giving young people a different viewpoint of the foods industry. As well as farms, factories and retail stores participants can see the entire supply chain and the broad range of career opportunities available in the industry.

Feeding Britain's Future, led by research charity IGD, is the first initiative of its kind, giving young people firsthand knowledge of the skills needed for a career in the food industry or elsewhere. Participants received CV and interview sessions with members of Gist's management team to help them develop their employability skills and improve their chances of getting a job. As well as workshops to improve their soft skills, all participants had the chance to speak to other employees about their careers and experiences in the workplace and see practical operational skills carried out, such as using voice technology systems to pick orders for food retail stores. This enabled them to see how the business is run and the wide range of careers available in the industry.

"Last year four of our sites took part in the project and we felt like we made a real difference to the young people who attended. We offered participants interviews for seasonal work and some were given temporary jobs during our Christmas peak period. We were very keen to take part again this year and I'm delighted that so many of our sites got involved." Said Karen Harrington, Project Manager - Gist Foundation.

"Gist is proud to have been a part of this scheme for the second year running, it's not only a great opportunity for these young people to gain employability skills but it gives them an insight into the broad range of career opportunities there are in the foods industry. Through this scheme, together with our apprenticeship, industrial placement and graduate schemes, we hope to provide many young people with excellent career opportunities." Said Martin Gwynn, Chief Executive, Gist.

The food and grocery industry is the UK's biggest private sector employer providing 3.7m - or one in seven - jobs and there are a huge range of careers on offer. Young people got a chance to learn about supply chain in the food and grocery industry when they visited Gist in September. Joanne Denney-Finch, chief executive, IGD, said: "The UK food and grocery industry employs 3.7 million people - making us Britain's biggest private sector employer. With that scale comes responsibility - we have a vital role to play in tackling youth unemployment by sharing our advice and experience."