Kick-start your career
Kick-start your career in food and consumer goods with this free introductory course. Including essential industry knowledge and the personal skills you need to take your first steps with confidence.
You will discover:
- The wider food and consumer goods landscape and key trends including health, sustainability, and retail
- A view on shoppers – what are their motivations and missions
- Understand the main food and consumer goods channels
- Insight into key roles and processes
- Build your awareness of unconscious bias
Each topic is covered at an introductory level helping to broaden your perspective and inspire you to find out more. The course is also a fantastic opportunity to develop your network and build your personal impact to set yourself up for success.
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Join the over 1,700 people that have completed New Starter Skills since September 2020
"I now feel I have a foot on the ladder in terms of understanding the industry and the knowledge I have gained will help me to progress and develop in my career."
New Starter Skills participant, food manufacturer
"This course has been really motivating and inspiring. It has given me real insight into the inner workings of the industry and how I can fit in and make a difference."
New Starter Skills participant, food manufacturer
"The course has definitely helped broaden my knowledge of the retail industry and now feel I have a much better understanding of each aspect within my current organisation. It was great that I had the chance to be a part of the Live Industry Event and I really enjoyed hearing from other industry leaders and having the opportunity to network with those in a similar job role to my own."
Commercial Field Sales Representative, Kelloggs
Key facts
- New Starter Skills is free
- Total learning time: 8 hours
- Next intake: 27 September – 26 November 2021
- Hosted on our learning platform, with separate login details
- Receive a certificate to help share your success
Learn in your own time
Work through most of the 8 hours of learning in your own time between the start and end dates. Around six hours of learning is delivered through bite-sized resources and interactive resources allowing you to manage your time effectively.
Learn with others
New Starter Skills includes a 2 hour digital event including insight from industry and networking – choose from two dates: 19 October or 20 October at 2pm.
To choose a date and secure your place, click here.
To access the learning platform, you will need a compatible browser (Chrome, Safari, Firefox), and the virtual event will be hosted on Zoom.
Is it right for you?
- New Starter Skills is for people who are starting their career in food and consumer goods
- It can also act as a refresher for anyone looking to improve their knowledge
- Its relevant for all job types and our participants work in range of business areas from supply chain to marketing and all those in between
- You must be willing to commit time to your personal development
Advice for L&D and Line Managers
Register a team or cohort of learners for free to support your talent development and create an even better learning impact:
- Embed with your early careers programmes for graduates, apprentices, and interns
- Enhance your induction programme and ‘keep warm’ campaigns for new starters
- Link to personal development planning and recognition process for your team
- There is no limit on cohort sizes – sign up as many people as you want
"IGD's New Starter Skills programme is a key part of our talent development strategy and is embedded in our Degree Apprenticeship programme that develops our future leaders... [It] provides flexible and blended learning, builds the knowledge and skills that our people need to fully understand the food and consumer goods industry. This allows them to add value to our business by seeing and appreciating the bigger picture."
Guy Dullage, Chief People Officer, Greencore Group Plc
Book Now
Book your place on the course below. You will receive an email confirming your place shortly afterwards. You will receive your log in instructions for the learning platform nearer the start date.
To book onto the virtual event, click here.