The Press Page
Letter published in The Grocer (22 September 2007)
Sir; Sir Terry Leahy, chief executive of Tesco, should be congratulated on his recent pleas to the government to improve the skills of school leavers. The lack of skills in the basic three Rs is leading to a major problem for a fourth R - recruitment.
It is not just Tesco that is being forced to offer on-the-job training for poorly qualified staff - the lack of skill is impacting on food companies across the country. While the demand for managers in the food industry is increasing there is a worrying drop in the number of UK students training in relevant food science degree courses. It is time to bridge the skills gap at every level.
New partnership fills a hole in the food industry
Hutchinson Consultancy, the interim recruitment specialist for food manufacturing, has announced a new alliance with Jonas Consulting, the FMCG permanent recruiter.
The companies will retain their original names, locations and branding, but will be known from a group perspective as “The Hutchinson Jonas Group”.
The group, which brings together two of the most respected organisations in the business, will provide the food industry with both a permanent and interim recruitment solution, as well as providing a specialist service for senior search assignments.
Hutchinson Consultancy has traditionally provided clients such as Coca-Cola, Tetley and Premier Foods with interim managers for specific assignments, including restructuring, gap management and special projects.
Managing Director, Scott Hutchinson, said: "The food industry is an increasingly competitive market and it's vital that employers can fill positions in their companies with the best available professionals. By forming this alliance, we can meet the growing needs of our clients and ensure that they have the right people on board, permanent or interim."
"It will also mean that we can offer our candidates a more comprehensive client list – as a group we now have a client and candidate database that we believe is second to none in the industry.”
Since 2002, London-based Jonas Consulting has formed key partnerships with numerous FMCG manufacturers and retailers.
Director, Jane Jonas, said: "We are delighted to have formed an alliance with Hutchinson Consultancy, which strengthens the service that we can offer to the food industry. We are able to provide our clients with an even more comprehensive recruitment service."
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