Tetra Pak seeks to expand female workforce
Switz packaging company, Tetra Pak, has highlighted the need to improve gender diversity in its Food and Beverage manufacturing, in what it hopes will tackle several issues in the sector:
- Food safety
- Food availability
- Sustainability
Skillsets required in Food and beverage manufacturing
Tetra Pak is headquartered in Switzerland and has a revenue of €11.5b. The company wants more women to join the manufacturing industry, in order to bring transformational change.
The World Economic Forum's Gender Gap report has revealed that women make up only a third of roles in the manufacturing sector, dropping to just 21% at a senior executive level.
According to the company, certain skillsets required to increase innovation in the food packaging industry range from mechanical and automation engineering to microbiology and food science.
An opportunity for more diversity
Manufacturing is not the only industry calling for female talent. Finance, firefighting and aircraft pilots are all male-majority.
"Manufacturing industries have not always been the most attractive career choice for women, owing to the stereotypes and legacies of this heavily male-dominated sector”, states Laurence Mott, Executive VP, Development and Engineering at Tetra Pak. “But now there is a brilliant opportunity for more diversity and for female innovators to help protect our global food supply chains for generations to come."
"Our global food systems are facing many challenges – in terms of climate change, food safety and hygiene and distribution”, Marie Sandin, Vice President Engineering and Plant Automation at Tetra Pak. “We can make a difference in all of these areas, but our impact will be far more effective if we involve more women in the movement."
"I see an opportunity for women to enter the food science discipline and make an impact”, Tetra Pak Food Science Lead in USA & Canada Abigail Dagadu. “Drawing from my own experience, my role is to look for innovative solutions to some of the world's most important issues today: from food insecurity and famine to metabolic diseases, like obesity and diabetes, it's a chance to drive real societal change, and I would encourage all young women with Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) qualifications to consider a career in the F&B industry."
