SHEFFIELD Hallam University, home of the UK’s only dedicated packaging undergraduate degree course, will share insight on the shifting role of education in shaping the UK’s packaging industry at an upcoming webinar event hosted by ThePackHub.
On June 20, principal lecturer Peter MacQueen will be joined by packaging industry specialist and MD of PHD Marketing, Joanna Stephenson, to offer perspectives on how education is strengthening the packaging industry’s future amidst workforce challenges.
The event, ‘Securing the future of the packaging industry through education’, is aimed at packaging companies and brands seeking to growth their in-house packaging teams and is described as a ‘must-see’ for businesses grappling with future leader development, succession planning and securing the recruitment pipeline.
Peter said, “We’re at a real crossroads in the UK packaging industry. There is phenomenal innovation in areas such as circularity, material technology and design, but we are also seeing challenges in a workforce ageing out of employment, sparse recruitment pipelines and limited diversity.
“From SME packaging converters to globally operating brands, the workforce challenges run deep, so we need to ask the question of how we build a stronger, more resilient packaging sector and how we stay competitive in the global market. It starts with fundamentally better options for education, and that’s the driving force behind our Level 6 Degree Apprenticeship, BSc (Hons) Packaging Professional course, now open for enrolment at Sheffield Hallam University.”
Sheffield Hallam University’s undergraduate course is led by experienced packaging professionals and designed to fit around work commitments for businesses.
Joanna added, “We’re thrilled to share the state of play and our own perspectives on today’s workforce challenges at the webinar. The holy grail for all of us is to get talented young designers, engineers and operatives to be as excited about a packaging career as they are about more potentially more ‘glamorous’ technology fields such as IT. That starts with stronger routes into the industry, greater visibility and easily accessible options for upskilling.
“What Peter and the team at Sheffield Hallam University are doing is extremely important; there’s nothing else like it in the UK. That alone makes is an unmissable opportunity, and its flexibility around working commitments is the icing on the cake.”
For more information about the event and to register for the session, click here.
To learn more about the packaging qualification offered by Sheffield Hallam University, including the course summary, click here.
