How are the nutrition professionals of tomorrow working towards a greener and healthier world? What motivates a career in the food industry? Students at Nordic Food College and the Nordregio Growing Food(ies) project will answer and explore these questions on Thursday 26 September during Green Innovation Week in Skive, Denmark.
Nordregio project aims to spark young people’s interest in the food industry
The Growing Food(ies) project will participate during Green Innovation Week to meet and discuss young people’s career choices and perspectives on the food industry. Denmark is not the only country facing a shortage of skilled labour in the Nordics, despite favourable conditions for agriculture for example.
“It could have serious consequences for the entire food value chain if too few young people choose a career in the industry,” explains Karen Refsgaard, project leader for Growing Food(ies). The project is part of Nordregio’s project portfolio and focuses on how young people can be motivated to engage in food production.
“This is an excellent opportunity for us to be part of Green Innovation Week, not only because we’ll be meeting a number of engaged and passionate students already pursuing a career in the food industry, but also because we’ll have the chance to speak with many other young people to understand their career choices and decisions, which can provide input for better political framework conditions for the industry,” Karen Refsgaard concludes.
Students leading the way
Nutrition assistant students at the Nordic Food College, Uddannelsescenter Holstebro, have been exploring various methods of utilising Danish-grown legumes.
“By contributing to Green Innovation Week, we are working with the subject ‘technology’, where our students can apply theories to practice. Ideas are bubbling up, and the students are looking forward to presenting new recipes and methods to a broad audience, where, among others, Ingrid Ærter from Aurion and seaweed from the Limfjord play a central role. Nutrition assistants have a crucial role in our overall health, and it is essential that more people gain a clear understanding of what the training entails,” explains teacher Katrine Søndergaard.
Katrine Søndergaard emphasises the importance of exposing students’ work on sustainability, which can, in turn, inspire others to pursue a career in the food industry.
Nutrition assistant students from Uddannelsescenter Holstebro are similarly working with Danish-grown root vegetables, and both educational institutions will come together when students contribute to the stage presentation ‘Nutrition Assistant in the Green Kitchen’. Here, students from both schools will talk about their journey into the green job market.
Green Innovation Week culminates on Thursday, 26th September in Skive and is supported by the Tietgen Foundation. Press release available in Danish here.
