According to a survey of manufacturers conducted by Deloitte and The Manufacturing Institute, by 2030 there will be 2.1 million jobs unfilled.¹ In addition, 77 percent of respondents reported the expected difficulties in keeping and attracting workers.¹ According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, during the COVID-19 pandemic, 47.8 million workers quit their jobs in 2021. In 2022, 50 million workers quit, and in 2023, 30.5 million workers had resigned as of August.² 

Once called the "the Great Resignation," this mass change in employment has been relabeled "the Great Reshuffle."² Although the number of people who left manufacturing was lower than in the leisure and hospitality industry, which had the highest quit rate, jobs that are fully in-person and traditionally have lower wages have had difficulty retaining talent.² Many manufacturing jobs, including those in food manufacturing, require employees to be onsite and simply cannot function without an in-person workforce. In addition, although in some geographic areas food manufacturing is among the highest-paying industries, in others food manufacturing is near the regional minimum wage.  

Although the characterization of what different generations are looking for regarding workplaces is broadly indicative of traits (and grossly generalized), it is worth a conversation. For a reminder of the different generations, Pew Research Center defines the following social generations in the western world, including Europe and North America, as shown in Table 1.³   

The workforce is made up of four different generational groups including Baby Boomers, Generation Xs, Millennials, and Generation Zs/Zoomers. With Baby Boomers retired or looking at retiring very soon and some Generation Z still to enter the workforce, both retaining and hiring new talent is a challenge. The good news is that 27 percent of Generation Zs said they would consider a career in manufacturing.⁴ 

Potential Strategies for Attracting Youth to Food Careers

So, how can the food industry attract youth to food manufacturing careers? First, become involved in your local education system. Many high schools and community colleges have Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs, and some are also working with youth apprenticeship programs. CTE programs include welding, food science, engineering, manufacturing, agricultural education, automotive programs, information technology, and other subjects. CTE programs are meant to prepare youth for in-demand careers. Youth apprenticeship programs involve technical education and on-the-job, paid learning. Becoming involved in these programs includes serving on advisory boards to help determine the skills needed in these programs, as well as potentially becoming a guest speaker on topics in the curriculum. A manufacturing facility could also provide apprenticeship opportunities for students. 

Many students in CTE programs participate in student organizations like SkillsUSA or FFA, which host skills competitions both regionally and nationally. These organizations often utilize businesses to provide judges and organizational assistance (e.g., locations, equipment, etc.). Providing resources to these organizations allows access to students who will be looking for a career in your facility soon. Also, a business could provide scholarships to attend competitions, or provide the prizes for the top individual/teams in relevant competitions. 

Many local high schools offer some variation of career days or fairs. In addition to K–12 events, the local Department of Labor and community colleges with workforce development departments also offer career fairs for businesses and job seekers. Getting involved in these events gives exposure to your facility and provides opportunities to those who are seeking work.   

Every October, localities host Manufacturing Day events. Officially, Manufacturing Day is the first Friday of October; however, many states and regional trade groups offer events throughout the month. The purpose of Manufacturing Day events is to educate students, parents, and the general public about modern manufacturing and to promote careers in various manufacturing categories.⁵ You may wish to offer tours to educate the public (and prospective workers) about what your facility does and why your business is essential to the community. As long as visitors follow proper Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) and personnel safety protocols, bring people in and remove some of the ambiguity about what goes on inside the walls of your facility. 

The Importance of Messaging

When attending Manufacturing Day and similar types of events, it is important to think about your messaging and how it is conveyed. The old days of simply detailing the wage and saying you have a benefits package is not enough. Over 80 percent of both Generation Zs and Millennials need a sense of purpose to feel job satisfaction, and will not sign up for jobs that do not align with their values.⁶ 

Business should have a positive impact on society; however, less than half of Generation Zs and Millennials believe businesses are delivering on that promise.⁶ Seventy percent of Generation Z ranks strong social values as "very important."⁴ Work-life balance with more flexibility is a top priority for both Generation Z and Millennials.⁶ In addition, cost of living is the top concern (34 percent of Generation Z and 40 percent of Millennials), with 30 percent of both generations (30 percent of Generation Z and 32 percent of Millennials) currently not feeling financially secure. Over 50 percent of both generations (56 percent of Generation Z and 55 percent of Millennials) report currently living paycheck-to-paycheck.⁶ 

A business must properly communicate its purpose and mission or values. Messaging needs to include how the business supports its employees monetarily, their mental health, their work-life balance, and their purpose, as well as opportunities to be promoted and increase their job satisfaction. 

In addition, just giving a speech or handout with some pens or sticky notes is not enough to attract attention. Bringing games, holding a trivia contest, showing equipment from the facility, and other engaging activities will bring people to your booth area. Also, bring some treats—you do, after all, make food. I once attended a Manufacturing Day event that invited young adults in the morning and adults in the afternoon and early evening. One company brought a small soft-serve ice cream machine and instantly became the most popular booth. Those of you who have a membership to a nationwide warehouse store know that the areas around the sample locations are always clogged. Regardless of age and demographics, we all love free food! Getting the attention of attendees is key to making sure they hear about those great opportunities you have in your facility.      

Becoming involved in your local education system (both K–12 and colleges) gives you exposure to those students who will be looking for a career in the future. Attending career fairs, being a guest speaker at a CTE class, attending Manufacturing Day events, and helping with local skills competitions are great ways to educate people on the opportunities your company offers for today's youth. Consider an apprenticeship program—and if there is not one in your area, consider helping to organize a program. Many grants are available to help develop these activities. 

In today's advanced manufacturing environment, food processing offers a great career and many opportunities for people to experience; the industry just needs to make sure they know about them. Good luck recruiting! 

References

1. NAM News Room. "2.1 Million Manufacturing Jobs Could Go Unfilled by 2030." National Association of Manufacturers. May 4, 2021. https://nam.org/2-1-million-manufacturing-jobs-could-go-unfilled-by-2030-13743/?stream=workforce.
2. Ferguson, S. and M. Hoover. "Understanding America's Labor Shortage: The Most Impacted Industries." November 22, 2024. U.S. Chamber of Commerce. https://www.uschamber.com/workforce/understanding-americas-labor-shortage-the-most-impacted-industries.
3. Dimock, M. "Defining Generations: Where Millennials End and Generation Z Begins." Pew Research Center. January 17, 2019. https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2019/01/17/where-millennials-end-and-generation-z-begins/.
4. Nocti Business Solutions. "Gen Z in Manufacturing: Learn How to Hire and Retain the Next Generation Workforce." https://skills.noctibusiness.com/gen-z-in-manufacturing/. 
5. National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). "Manufacturing Day." Manufacturing Extension Partnership MEP. https://www.nist.gov/mep/manufacturing-day.
6. Deloitte. "2024 Gen Z and Millennial Survey." https://www.deloitte.com/global/en/issues/work/content/genz-millennialsurvey.html.