92 percent of the Swedish food companies want to increase production in the next five years. At the same time, 94 percent of companies say that they already have difficulty finding and recruiting the right skills.
Swedish food companies want to grow according to a new report from the organization Livsmedelsföretagen. 9 out of 10 member companies state that they want to increase their production over the next five years. For that growth to take place the industry needs a greatly increased influx of new employees, with technical or industry-specific skills. In total about 20,000 new employees.
A representative from the food industry, Robert Zmijewski, HR Director Supply Chain, Arla Foods. Sweden, explains:
– We invest in new technologies, systems, and solutions throughout our supply chain, and then need employees who can use the new systems and machines, which are constantly becoming more advanced.
Björn Hellman, CEO of Livsmedelsföretagen, says:
– The last three years with the corona pandemic and cost crisis have been extremely tough for Swedish food producers. Therefore, it is gratifying to see that the companies have such great ambitions for the future. Unfortunately, the large and growing skills shortage risks overturning the companies’ plans. The rapid technological development places increasingly higher demands on education, while the number of food-related educations is decreasing and the competition from other industries for technical competence is increasing. In the long term, the skills shortage is undoubtedly the food industry’s biggest challenge,
Already today, 94 percent of Swedish food producers find it difficult to find and recruit the right skills. One of the problems is that the range of training courses adapted to the food industry is very limited and, in some cases, non-existent, according to Livsmedelsföretagen.
Read the full press release – with link to the report – HERE