Want decent staff? Try before you buy

Everybody bemoans the dearth of qualified professionals entering the food industry. Why not do something about it? The educational institutions cannot work in isolation from the food industry yet be expected to produce graduates with the training, skills and education the industry wants.

There is an easy way to be involved and it will also give you an opportunity to test run potential staff and snaffle them up if they suit your needs.

Internships

The Master of Food and Packaging Innovation (MFPI) postgraduate degree, which develops well-rounded professionals in new product development, food packaging processes and design, is a joint initiative between the University of Melbourne and the Australian Institute of Packaging. Students study food science, food safety, packaging materials and processes, packaging design, consumer behaviour, product innovation, entrepreneurship, business management and marketing.

As part of the two-year degree students are required to undertake 120–200 hours of work in industry as part of their internship. These hours can be taken over weeks or months, depending on the needs of the company.

What’s in it for you?

• Find future employees: Students from the MFPI have the knowledge, skills, drive and enthusiasm to be highly successful employees, and potentially future leaders, in the food and food packaging industries. Taking an MFPI intern will give you the opportunity to assess potential employees.
• Increase productivity: This internship provides a great opportunity to receive some extra help with research or projects that you are having difficulty finding the time or resources to complete. In addition, the interns bring with them a fresh pair of eyes that can inspire new ideas and help to problem solve. It is also worth noting that many of our interns have worked in a diverse range of fields prior to undertaking the course and bring with them a range of skills obtained through previous employment.
• Support the industry: Hosting an intern supports industry development and the future leaders of the food and food packaging sectors.

Interns available

The program has two students who are available for internships right now. If you are interested in taking an intern immediately, in the future or you would like more information, please email info@aipack.com .au.

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