A free event where you can hear from Justin King – Sainsbury’s, Andy Clarke - Asda, Lucy Neville-Rolfe - Tesco, Lord Freud, Rt Hon Yvette Cooper MP, Joanne Denney-Finch - IGD, Dave Lewis - Unilever...

We’ve entered another defining decade. Over the next ten years we need to rebuild the economy, ramp up food production, dramatically cut carbon emissions and make step change improvements in energy and water efficiency. The key to success, as always, will lie in our knowledge and skills.

However, unemployment continues to rise and nearly one in five 18 to 24-year-olds are now out of work, the highest since 1992. This group has even been described as “potentially a lost generation.” Unless we act decisively, we face the tragic combination of high unemployment and wasted potential with a shortage of vital skills.

This is why IGD has convened a Food & Grocery Industry Skills and Employment Summit, spanning the food chain from farm to fork.

On the day, we’ll make a high level assessment of the critical issues, raise the vital questions, float potential solutions, share best practice, highlight existing vital initiatives and initiate new ones.

We’ll cover three main themes:

• Skills gaps – what will the food industry need from the education system in future?
• Youth employment – what can the food sector do to give young people a chance?
• Staff development – how can food companies equip their people with skills for a new era?

With your help, as a key decision maker, we aim the event to be a catalyst towards:

• Helping the education system to adapt to changing needs
• Reducing the social damage from high unemployment
• Accelerating the uptake of new skills by food companies

In return, you’ll be able to contribute your ideas, hear the views of industry leaders, assess the plans of the two front running political parties in the run up to an election and network with your peers.