Local MP Caroline Spelman recently attended the Big Bang careers fair at the NEC with Owen Paterson MP, the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
The free educational event for schools, families and community groups ran from Thursday 13th to Sunday 16th March. It aimed to inspire and educate 7-19 year olds about exciting opportunities in science, technology, engineering and maths.
As part of the visit, organised by the Food and Drink Federation, Caroline and the Secretary of State met food manufacturing engineers and apprentices from Coca-Cola Enterprises, Mars, Mondelêz International, Nestlé and PepsiCo, and learnt about their work.
Caroline commented, “I greatly enjoyed attending the Big Bang careers fair with the Environment Secretary, and finding out more about the career possibilities in food and drink manufacturing. I particularly enjoyed meeting apprentices from companies such as Mondelêz International, and hearing about the careers programmes they are on. The West Midlands is currently undergoing a manufacturing renaissance, but this has led to a skill shortage which must be addressed by encouraging more young people, especially girls, to consider careers in manufacturing and engineering.”