The government’s See Inside Manufacturing initiative is back again this month, and it’s promising to be a treat for all thanks to the addition of the food and drink sector.

Businesses from Callington in the South West to East Kilbride in Scotland will join the automotive and aerospace and defence sectors in opening their doors to inspire the next generation of young people about a career in manufacturing.

Manufacturing can conjure up images of smokestacks, stuffy workplaces and basic roles that don’t require many skills.

Those perceptions are outdated and couldn’t be further from the truth - manufacturing in the 21st century offers fantastic career opportunities, requiring a talented workforce and an abundance of creative talent.

These are the messages that this government and industry are keen to demonstrate first-hand to young people, teachers and career advisers through the See Inside programme.

Last year I, the secretary of state and other ministers took part and saw for ourselves some of the fantastic work that is taking place, and the amazing stories we as a country have to tell around manufacturing.

But we can only expect to make a difference by working side-by-side with industry and its representative bodies like the Food and Drink Federation.

The FDF is a key partner of the See Inside Manufacturing initiative, and identifies attracting new talent as a key challenge for the food and drink sector if it is to offer sustainable growth by 2020.

Food and drink is the largest manufacturing sector in the UK. Its presence is represented in many household names such as Kraft, Coca-Cola, Mars and Warburtons - all of which and more are expecting to receive more than 1,000 visitors throughout this month as part of See Inside. That is an impressive figure, and reflects a unified ideology that young people are crucial to the success of the sector.

Synergies exist between See Inside and the work the food industry is already doing to show young people the exciting career opportunities available. Many FDF members are already opening their doors to young people.

See Inside Manufacturing will build on that work and help many more young people to see a career in food and drink manufacturing as an exciting and smart choice.

See Inside Manufacturing complements the work of the government’s Make it in Great Britain campaign, which is looking to dispel the myth that we don’t make anything in this country.

It will culminate in an exhibition this summer at the Science Museum, where big and small manufacturers - including food and drink brands Coca-Cola and Mars - will display their latest designs and technologies alongside finalists of our Make it in Great Britain Challenge.

It’s fair to say we have a great story to tell in manufacturing right across industry and this month offers us a great opportunity to get our messages across: that the industry is great to be a part of, that there are well paid career opportunities to grasp, and that, together with industry, we can make a difference.

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