For Immediate Release! Exciting News in Food + Beverage

Guelph, ON Today, Food and Beverage Ontario the food and beverage processing sector’s leadership organization announces an exciting partnership between Taste Your Future, an industry talent attraction program and FoodGrads, an initiative that connects grads, educators and industry professionals.

Taste Your Future and FoodGrads Partner to Sharpen Focus on Youth and New Grads for Food and Beverage Careers

With this partnership, Taste Your Future and FoodGrads will build an exclusive community for the food and beverage industry to specifically support youth and young professionals with resources and connections to employers. According to a recent report, Planning for Tomorrow 2.0, commissioned by the University of Guelph’s Ontario Agricultural College 77 per cent of food employers have a preference for formal training in food graduates.

There is so much potential for young people and recent grads in the food and beverage processing industry. With careers in product development, food safety, communications and marketing, business and finance, operations and supply chains the career paths are endless.

At La Rocca Creative Cakes we love hiring young people because they bring with them energy, fresh ideas and an entrepreneurial spirit. The partnership between Taste Your Future and FoodGrads will make it possible to more easily connect with up and coming young professionals, Michael Givens, President & Owner, La Rocca Creative Cakes.

Food and Beverage Ontario’s Taste Your Future program is expertly guided by a team of food and beverage HR professionals, college and university leadership and Ontario educators.

The program, which was launched in 2016, raises awareness and promotes the food and beverage processing sector as a place for exciting careers for youth, new Canadians and second career individuals.

FoodGrads was founded by Nicole Gallace, a career HR professional who recognized the incredible opportunity the food industry offers to students and recent grads. FoodGrads provides HR advice and guidance in addition to connecting youth to employers.

We are pulling in the right direction with this partnership. I have been involved with Taste Your Future from start-up and in my role at Niagara College I spend a lot of time with students passionate about developing a rewarding career in food.

Together we have an even greater opportunity to reach and connect with so many incoming students at colleges and universities across the province, said Craig Youdale, Dean, Canadian Food and Wine Institute, Niagara College.

To launch the partnership, Taste Your Future and FoodGrads are celebrating with a kickoff event. The Food + Beverage Career Showdown on January 10, 2018 at Steam Whistle Brewing will connect students and recent grads with young professionals for a tell-all on job prospects and career development.

About Food and Beverage Ontario & Taste Your Future

Food and Beverage Ontario is a not-for-profit, leadership organization dedicated to advancing the interests of Ontario’s food and beverage processors. FBO delivers the Taste Your Future talent attraction and career development program for the food and beverage processing industry.

About FoodGrads

FoodGrads was started by Nicole Gallace, a passionate HR professional with a desire to support youth on their career journeys. FoodGrads is an interactive platform focused on closing the gap between students/recent graduates and employers in the food and beverage industry.

For media inquiries contact:

Isabel Dopta

Director of Communications
Food and Beverage Ontario

idopta@foodandbeverageontario.ca

519.993.1192