One in seven of those working in the UK today is employed by the food and grocery industry - a total of 3.6 million people. This innovative, dynamic and growing sector currently makes up 18% of the UK’s manufacturing output and, in 2011, turned over £81bn.

We are a significant economic force with big companies and tiny SMEs - more than 400,000 businesses in the UK food chain. But are we doing enough to attract young people, to promote career opportunities and to equip them with the skills they need?

Earlier this year, industry think-tank IGD consulted young unemployed people in Birmingham to hear first-hand what the industry could do to help. The results revealed young people were lacking in confidence, support with CV-writing and interview experience. This meant many were unsure about applying for the exciting opportunities our sector has to offer.

To address this, the industry has come together to launch Feeding Britain’s Future - Skills for Work Week. All this week, companies have been offering 10,000 young unemployed people free skills training at more than 700 locations across Britain. The programme is not about providing a job now. Rather we aim to develop the skills and training that will help unemployed young people to get a job the next time an opportunity comes along.

“Young people are lacking confidence and support with CV writing”

As companies in the food sector, we need to do our part but we also need government support. So I was pleased to be involved in an event organised by the prime minister, David Cameron, to show his support for the programme and to allow him to hear directly about the importance of skills and training opportunities in tackling youth unemployment.

We have been running Feeding Britain’s Future in partnership with the government through JobCentre Plus. This has helped us reach 10,000 young people to showcase the variety of career opportunities available across the supply chain - from farming techniques, butchery and baking to R&D and food science.

Mars is one of many companies involved. We built on the initiatives already on offer across the company by co-ordinating two skills training sessions targeted at young people in Slough, the location of our UK HQ. We aim to offer a real insight into the jobs available at Mars. We also provided a tour of our offices, where participants were able to see the activity taking place ‘behind the scenes’.

By the end of this week, thousands of young people will have gained a better understanding of the diverse range of careers in our industry and developed their skills and confidence. This aspiration will, I hope, serve as a blueprint for other sectors.

Sustainable economic recovery will depend on major employers coming together with government to ensure young people have access to the skills and training needed for the jobs of the future. As an industry, this week has been an important step in showcasing the opportunities we can provide.

We look forward to building on this, ensuring we continue to drive high quality food manufacturing in the UK.