The Sgiliau Bwyd a Diod Cymru / Food & Drink Skills Wales programme is launching a new educational resource to help secondary school pupils connect the livestock, produce, and innovation on display at the Winter Fair directly to a vast array of future career paths.
The Winter Fair Activity Pack is a comprehensive guide designed to transform the annual agricultural showcase into an engaging Careers and Work-Related Experiences (CWRE) discussion, spotlighting the huge scope of the Welsh Food and Drink industry.
The Welsh Food and Drink sector is one of the nation's most important and innovative, employing over 220,000 people. This new resource aims to bridge the gap between young people and the industry, illustrating that a career in food goes far beyond farming and catering.
The Winter Fair Activity Pack offers secondary school teachers and group leaders a structured walkthrough of the show, providing discussion prompts for key areas like the Livestock Sheds, Carcass Hall, and Foodhall.
The guide encourages pupils to follow the journey of Welsh produce from farm to fork, highlighting the diverse roles required at every stage.
The guide moves beyond the product displays to focus on the less visible but crucial roles in innovation. It spotlights Food Technologists – the experts in Food Science who invent new products and ensure food safety and nutrition. It details the need for Engineers to design and maintain the sophisticated machinery used in food production, and refers to creative and commercial roles like Graphic Designers, Marketing Coordinators, and Packaging Technologists – showing that the industry needs a wide range of talents; scientific, creative, practical, and business-minded.
Nia Griffith, Engagement Manager for the Sgiliau Bwyd a Diod Cymru / Food & Drink Skills Wales programme, said:
“The Winter Fair is a phenomenal showcase of Welsh excellence, but it's also a live job board. This activity pack is vital for showing secondary pupils that the food they enjoy and the products they see are the result of incredible teamwork, technology, and science. The Welsh Food and Drink industry is crying out for talented young people, and we want to help them see exactly where their skills – whether in maths, science, creativity, or engineering, can lead to a fulfilling career.”
The pack concludes with Next Steps and a Resource List, directing teachers to valuable organisations like the Food & Drink Skills Wales programme and the Tasty Careers initiative for further follow-up activities.
As well as launching the brand new Activity Pack on the first day of the Winter Fair, the Food & Drink Skills Wales programme team are pleased to work in collaboration with Hybu Cig Cymru / Meat Promotion Wales (HCC), who will be hosting live butchery demonstrations on their stand on the second day. This hands-on showcase is designed to highlight the diverse and skilled career paths available within the food and drink industry, proving there's much more to it than meets the eye.
Elwen Roberts, Consumer Executive Officer, Hybu Cig Cymru / Meat Promotion Wales (HCC), said:
“I’m delighted to be working with the Food & Drink Skills Wales programme on this butchery demonstration. It's a fantastic chance to showcase the skill and precision involved in the craft, and more importantly, to highlight the incredible career opportunities that exist within our vibrant food and drink industry.”
