Ambitious plans to encourage the young to join and progress within
foodservice equipment
FEA is calling on young people in the foodservice equipment
industry to join together to make themselves heard. The Association has ambitious plans to help young
professionals by supporting their careers, and to encourage more to join the
industry. Key to this is the NextGen
council – and FEA is asking young people to join it to create their own voice
and help guide the industry’s future.
The NextGen plans are initially being put together by Greg
Archer MBE, chair of FEA’s education and training committee, and the
association’s CE John Cunningham. “Greg
has recently been awarded the MBE for his services to young people – he’s the
perfect person to drive the NextGen initiative,” says John.
FEA is working on developing clear, tangible pathways into
the sector for young people, with support for their career in terms of professional
development and upskilling, plus the development of social and networking opportunities
for them. “Of course, for these
initiatives to work we really need young people already in the industry to be
involved and to take the lead,” says Greg.
“We want NextGen to be a champion for young people, to
mobilise and inspire them, to use FEA’s resources to ensure they have a voice –
and to ensure that voice is heard,” he adds.
“The FEA NextGen are the perfect people to represent our
sector to schools and colleges, to advocate for the sector, evangelise even,
about the great opportunities and careers that our sector has to offer”, says
John. Alongside the plans for advocacy and showcasing careers in the commercial
kitchen equipment sector, the FEA is developing support around career pathways,
training options and finding jobs so that there’s practical help for young
people to build their careers in the sector.
The FEA’s Board is fully supporting the NextGen proposals –
the next steps include finalising the funding, putting resources in place to
deliver the plan and reaching out to young people who would like to be
involved.
“By amplifying young voices and encouraging collaboration,
we are striving to shape a vibrant, sustainable, and forward-thinking future
for our industry,” says John.
The FEA team is developing plans behind the scenes now and members
can expect to hear more during the coming months, ahead of full details at the
FEA Conference on 12th-13th November 2025. Greg and John
agree, “Watch this space.”
Anyone interested in getting involved and finding out more
about the NextGen plans should contact John at the FEA, john.cunningham@fea.org.uk.
The Foodservice Equipment Association (FEA)is the independent, authoritative voice of the
foodservice equipment industry, representing
nearly 200 companies who supply, service and maintain all types of commercial
catering equipment - from utensils to full kitchen schemes. For more
information on FEA visit www.fea.org.uk
Press Enquiries:
The Publicity Works: 01263 761000; fea@publicityworks.biz
For more news about
FEA visit the press office at www.publicityworks.biz
John Cunningham,
FEA chief executive: 020 7793 3030