1 October 2013

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Leading food manufacturer Mondelez International is offering a tour of its Sheffield factory for up to 20 girls studying mathematics and science in year 13 to find out what it's like to be a mechanical engineer in the UK's largest manufacturing sector.

The maker of some of the world's best-loved brands including Cadbury, Kenco Oreo and Bassetts, will be hosting the visit on Wednesday 16 October and teachers and schools in the area are invited to put their eligible students forward to attend.

The tour is being organised by Sheffield Hallam University's Women in Science, Engineering and Technology (WISET) team and will give girls a chance to tour the factory to see high-tech robotics and automation in action and to speak to some of Mondelez International's female engineers to find out what their job is really like. The tour will also inform the girls about the industry's need for more mechanical engineers and the MEng Food Engineering degree at Sheffield Hallam University, which has been specially designed to create employment- ready mechanical engineers with the skills most sought after by food manufacturers.

Mondelez International is just one of the many companies supporting the degree. Other well-known brands behind the course include Anchor Butter, Coca-Cola and Maryland Cookies to name just a few.

Amongst several other benefits on offer to students, the MEng Food Engineering degree will offer a Food and Drink Federation (FDF) bursary of £2,500 to every student starting the course in September 2014. In addition, all students will be given guaranteed, competitively-paid work placements on each year of the course and the opportunity to apply for jobs exclusively on offer to course graduates (subject to final grades, references and employer recruitment processes).

Bookings for the factory tour are offered on a first-come-first-served basis and must be made by teachers directly to the WISET team. To book please contact: denise.eaton@shu.ac.uk; 0114 225 2878.

For further details on the course and other student benefits, please go to www.foodengineer.co.uk

Food and drink is the largest manufacturing sector in the UK and is home to some of the world's best-loved brands. It is estimated that the industry needs around 170,300 new recruits by 2020 to help it meet growing demand. Engineering, particularly mechanical engineering, is vital in helping businesses increase manufacturing efficiency and is one of the most sought after skills in the industry.

Find out more about the MEng Food Engineering degree at www.foodengineer.co.uk Students can also find out more and ask questions on the Food Engineer Facebook page, MEng Food Engineer Tumblr Blog and via Twitter (#FoodEngineering).

Meg Munn MP for Sheffield Heeley said:

“The new Food Engineering degree at Sheffield Hallam University looks set to be a fantastic programme which will provide great opportunities for its graduates. It's really encouraging to see such a well-known manufacturer in Mondelez offering our young women the chance to see just how exciting a career as an engineer can be.”

Martin North, Head of Manufacturing at Mondelez International (Sheffield site) said:

“We are delighted to be hosting the visit to give the students a behind the scenes look at our new Oreo production line. Our engineers will give insights into the food and drink industry and the opportunities out there for young people who want to pursue a career in this area. The MEng Food Engineering degree is a fantastic grounding for those looking to get into the industry. We are excited to be working with the Food and Drink Federation in developing the programme, which will create our food engineers of the future.

Notes to the Editor:

1. Link to the MEng Food Engineering at Sheffield Hallam University course page
2. Link to Women in Science, Engineering and Technology website
3. The MEng Food Engineering at Sheffield Hallam University has been developed by Graduate Excellence, a partnership between the Food and Drink Federation, the National Skills Academy for Food Drink and Sheffield Hallam University.
4. Companies supporting the MEng Food Engineering include: apetito, Arla Foods, Burton's Biscuit Company, Cargill, Coca-Cola Enterprises, Dalehead Foods, F. Duerr Sons, Finsbury Foods, General Mills, KP Snacks, Maple Leaf Foods, Mars, McCain Foods Ltd, Mondelèz International, Müller Dairy, Nestlè UK, New England Seafood, New Primebake, PepsiCo UK, Pork Farms, Premier Foods, Silver Spoon, AB Worlds and Jordans Ryvita, Simpsons Ready Foods Ltd, Tate and Lyle Sugars, United Biscuits, Warburtons, William Jackson Food Group.
5. The Food and Drink Federation (FDF) is the voice of the food and drink manufacturing industry – the UK's largest manufacturing sector.
6. The National Skills Academy for Food Drink is the food and drink manufacturing industry's skills body. The Academy was created in 2007 to facilitate sector specific training provision to drive up sector productivity and competitiveness in line with employer needs. Training organisations that become part of the Academy undergo rigorous quality checks and include both publicly and privately funded learning centres. Each delivers some aspect of skills development for the food and drink manufacturing industry as a whole, and/or specialist skills for one of its various sub-sectors.
7. Sheffield Hallam University is one of the UK's largest universities with more than 36,000 students, 27,000 of which are undergraduates. The University has the fourth highest number of postgraduate taught students in the UK and runs approximately 580 different courses. The University is England's largest provider of courses that involve work placements (such as a year in industry) and 91 per cent of the University's graduates are in work or further study six months after graduation.
8. Graduate Excellence has received co-investment from the UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES) through the Employer Investment Fund

More information

Contact Avni Raval, Communications Division, at: avni.raval@fdf.org.uk, or 0207 420 7131.

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