Upskilling in Food Manufacturing: Strategies for Closing the Skills Gap

Key Takeaways:

• Upskilling is crucial in the food industry due to technological advancements, changing consumer preferences, and labor shortages, with 65% of companies planning to increase investments in employee upskilling.
• On-the-job training and mentorship are considered the most effective upskilling strategies, while technologies like VR/AR, microlearning platforms, and collaborative learning tools can enhance training efforts.
• Common challenges in implementing upskilling programs include time constraints, diverse learning styles, and measuring ROI, but these can be overcome with flexible scheduling, varied learning formats, and clear performance metrics.

Between technological advancements, changing consumer preferences, and an ever-evolving regulatory landscape, there’s a growing need for new skills in the food industry. However, with persistent labor shortages, finding new employees with the right skills remains challenging. 

That’s why upskilling — the process of learning new skills or teaching workers new skills — is becoming a crucial component of addressing skills gaps. Our research shows that 65% of food industry companies are likely to increase their investments in employee upskilling over the next 12 months. And their workers are on board — 70% of respondents said their employees are eager to learn new skills.

Let’s take a look at why upskilling is key for retaining and engaging employees and maintaining competitiveness. We’ll also explore what upskilling strategies and technologies can help effectively close skills gaps. 

Why it’s time to upskill your employees

The food industry is increasingly adopting advanced technologies while facing a severe skills shortage. Not surprisingly, when we polled our LinkedIn audience, 47% said their biggest recruiting challenge was a lack of qualified talent. 

One key to unlocking more qualified talent is to make your company a place where employees are always learning and, as a result, are often promoted into higher-paying roles. Particularly for younger workers, the opportunity to grow their skills and develop their careers is a significant incentive for accepting a job. Because of this, upskilling initiatives can be a powerful differentiator in finding top talent. 

Offering growth opportunities not only helps bring in new hires but also boosts engagement and job satisfaction among current employees, leading to higher retention rates and a more dedicated workforce. When we polled our LinkedIn audience, they agreed — 42% said offering development opportunities has proven to be the most effective strategy for reducing turnover. And 36% have made training and development their top worker retention priority for this year.

Upskilled employees also bring greater productivity and efficiency to the table. With enhanced skills, they can quickly troubleshoot issues, optimize processes, and drive continuous improvement efforts. This translates into less downtime, reduced waste, and improved operational performance across the board.

Effective upskilling strategies and technologies

In food manufacturing, some methods for upskilling have proven more successful than others. Respondents in our 2024 Upskilling Report ranked on-the-job training and mentorship as the most effective training strategy, followed by off-site courses and in-house workshops. 

On-the-job training and mentorship is particularly effective for upskilling employees in the industry because this strategy:

• Is cost-effective: When employees can learn new skills while on the job, it minimizes disruption to production and doesn’t require expensive off-site training facilities.
• Provides practical application: Employees learn by directly applying new skills in their work environment while receiving real-time guidance and corrections, which reinforces learning through hands-on experience.
• Makes use of industry-specific knowledge: Mentors can share specialized knowledge unique to the industry or company, including safety protocols and quality control measures.
• Customizes learning: Training can be tailored to individual needs and the specific requirements of each role or production line.
• Builds company culture: The close interaction with experienced colleagues helps employees quickly absorb company culture and industry standards.

In addition, there are a variety of technologies available to help promote continued learning, including:

• Virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR): VR and AR technologies offer immersive, hands-on training experiences without the risks associated with on-the-job training. These technologies are particularly useful for simulating complex manufacturing processes, training on expensive or dangerous equipment, or practicing emergency procedures and troubleshooting.
• Microlearning platforms: Microlearning delivers content in small, focused chunks that are easy to consume and apply. This method is ideal for the fast-paced food manufacturing environment, where employees often can’t spare large blocks of time for training. From quick hygiene and safety reminders to brief tutorials on equipment operation, these bite-sized learning modules are convenient and accessible. 
• Collaborative learning platforms: Online collaborative platforms facilitate knowledge sharing and peer-to-peer learning within the organization. Such platforms allow employees to share best practices and troubleshooting tips while promoting cross-departmental collaboration and keeping track of institutional knowledge.

Solving for potential challenges

No matter how many of your employees are open to learning and how supportive your leadership team is, you may still run into issues when implementing upskilling initiatives. Here are some of the most common challenges and tips for overcoming them. 

Time constraints

Unsurprisingly, time constraints and scheduling conflicts ranked as the greatest challenge reported in our Upskilling Report. The fast-paced food manufacturing environment makes it difficult to find time for training. But there are some ways to make it work, including: 

• Flexible scheduling or dedicated training days to ensure adequate time for upskilling.
• Microlearning and mobile learning solutions for on-the-go training.
• AR technologies for on-the-job guidance, reducing the need for separate training sessions.

Diverse learning styles

Industry professionals ranked differences in learning styles as the second top challenge when it comes to upskilling. Food manufacturing often employs a diverse workforce with different educational backgrounds and skill levels, making it challenging to design one-size-fits-all training programs. To ensure every employee has the opportunity to learn, consider: 

• Offering training in multiple languages to accommodate non-native speakers.
• Providing a variety of learning formats (visual, auditory, hands-on, etc.) to cater to different learning styles.
• Using adaptive learning systems to personalize training content.

Measuring ROI

Cost was the third greatest upskilling barrier among our food industry respondents. Demonstrating the return on investment for upskilling programs can be challenging, making it difficult to secure ongoing support and resources. Use these tips to ensure you’re reaping all the benefits of upskilling:

• Before getting started, establish clear, measurable objectives for upskilling programs tied to business outcomes.
• Implement robust tracking systems to monitor key performance indicators before and after training.
• Use data analytics to connect upskilling efforts with improvements in productivity, quality, and safety metrics.

Resistance to change

Many employees, especially those who have been in the industry for a long time, may resist new technologies and methods. Fortunately, communication and support go a long way in helping them feel comfortable with learning (and possibly teaching) new skills: 

• Inform employees about the benefits of upskilling, including real-world examples. 
• Involve them in the planning and implementation process, accepting feedback and answering questions along the way.
• Provide ongoing support and resources as needed.

Rapidly evolving technology

It can be difficult to make sure your employees are equipped with the skills they need while technology changes so rapidly. To keep up with the pace:

• Lean on your software and technology partners to receive regular updates and training on new equipment and systems.
• Establish a dedicated team responsible for monitoring industry trends and updating training content.
• Encourage continuous learning through subscriptions to industry publications and attendance at relevant conferences.

As the industry continues to advance, those organizations that prioritize upskilling will be best positioned to navigate future challenges, seize new opportunities, and maintain their position as leaders in food manufacturing. The journey of upskilling is ongoing, but the benefits — a more skilled, engaged, and adaptable workforce — are well worth the investment.