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Working Abroad Job Vacancies Job Hunting Guide Voluntary Work Working Part-time and Temping Useful Job Hunting Resources Working in Somerset Wages and Employment Rights Food Technicians in Somerset CLCI: QON/SAC CRCI: TA/NC Food technicians ensure food is tasty, safe to eat and looks good. They also create new products, work with ingredients and invent new recipes. They work to strict health and safety and other rules and regulations. Collecting samples, testing and keeping a check on quality are big parts of the job. It’s a job few young people know about but – when they do it – they find it interesting and rewarding. There is often a shortage of good applicants for local jobs. To find out more look under the above CLCI/CRCI headings in your careers or Connexions library. THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT FOOD TECHNICIANS IN SOMERSET The food and drink industry is very important in Somerset. Around 6000 people work in over 150 businesses making cakes, yoghurts, desserts, cheeses, soft drinks, cider, ready meals and many other products. Businesses vary in size. Some employ several hundred people (of which around 10-12 might be food technicians). Food and drinks factories are based throughout Somerset. Some businesses are in the country close to the farms supplying their raw materials or near the motorway to ease distribution. HOW DO I GET STARTED?   Get work experience when at school to see if it’s the career for you   Go college or sixth form to gain more qualifications and start as a food technician when you are 18+   Start a traineeship – or apprenticeship – and go to college as part of your job USEFUL QUALIFICATIONS   Good GCSEs in maths, science and English are useful starting points. (You don't have to do a food subject at GCSE)   A/AS levels (including a science subject) useful for some jobs More about qualifications, courses and training can be found in Moving On (published by Connexions Somerset) DO YOU KNOW? www.tasteofthewest.co.uk tells you loads about some of the smaller food producers in Somerset WHAT IS THE PAY LIKE? Around £80 per week (maybe more) if starting as a new employed trainee or apprentice (but you’re more likely to be starting at 18 on £8-10,000). Experienced technicians earn around £13-17,000 (but pay varies greatly between businesses). Extra qualifications can mean more money. FINDING A JOB   Connexions centres   Job centres   Through applying for work apprenticeships   School and college careers notice boards   Speculative letters/visits/emails   Newspaper and industry publications adverts   Adverts displayed at premises and on industry/company websites   Job offer after work experience   Word of mouth   A Guide to Job Hunting gives tips on CVs, interviews and job letters. To view click here OTHER THINGS TO CONSIDER ABOUT THIS WORK   Within a factory set-up you’re likely to be working in a laboratory as part of a small team   Most food technicians work in the bigger food companies. Some Somerset food firms are part of larger groups with factories elsewhere   You need to be pretty good at science. GCSE may be enough for some jobs; others may require higher qualifications   You’ll need to be okay at paper work – and have IT skills - because you’ll need to keep accurate records   Moving between businesses is often a good way of gaining experience and getting on   There’s a fair chance you’ll be working shifts. Some food factories are on 16- or 24-hour production   Doing a food course at university would be good for some of the top jobs in the industry   Sometimes the job can be varied. Other times it is routine. WHO DOES THE WORK? Angie, 19, works in a cheese factory near Wincanton. After school she started at college but soon left because she wanted a job. Angie hadn’t thought about the food industry but saw a trainee technician vacancy and applied. She got the job, loves it and is now halfway through her training Steve is 27 and works in a food factory in South Somerset. After leaving school he did food technology at college and started in the industry when he was 18. He has worked for several local food firms and has been in his current job for two years. Steve’s just got promoted and is doing a management course so he can go further. More Info: A-Z Careers Careers information dates rapidly. Every effort has been made to ensure information is accurate but please check details before making firm decisions. Make text larger Make text smaller Text Only Display Privacy Policy/Terms of Use