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NewsFEA’s NextGen initiative: voice of the industry calls for voice for young people

FEA’s NextGen initiative: voice of the industry calls for voice for young people

FEA’s NextGen initiative: voice of the industry calls for voice for young people
Ambitious plans to encourage the young to join and progress within foodservice equipment

FEA is calling on young people in the foodservice equipment industry to join together to make themselves heard.  The Association has ambitious plans to help young professionals by supporting their careers, and to encourage more to join the industry.  Key to this is the NextGen council – and FEA is asking young people to join it to create their own voice and help guide the industry’s future. 

The NextGen plans are initially being put together by Greg Archer MBE, chair of FEA’s education and training committee, and the association’s CE John Cunningham.  “Greg has recently been awarded the MBE for his services to young people – he’s the perfect person to drive the NextGen initiative,” says John. 

FEA is working on developing clear, tangible pathways into the sector for young people, with support for their career in terms of professional development and upskilling, plus the development of social and networking opportunities for them.  “Of course, for these initiatives to work we really need young people already in the industry to be involved and to take the lead,” says Greg. 

“We want NextGen to be a champion for young people, to mobilise and inspire them, to use FEA’s resources to ensure they have a voice – and to ensure that voice is heard,” he adds. 

“The FEA NextGen are the perfect people to represent our sector to schools and colleges, to advocate for the sector, evangelise even, about the great opportunities and careers that our sector has to offer”, says John. Alongside the plans for advocacy and showcasing careers in the commercial kitchen equipment sector, the FEA is developing support around career pathways, training options and finding jobs so that there’s practical help for young people to build their careers in the sector.

The FEA’s Board is fully supporting the NextGen proposals – the next steps include finalising the funding, putting resources in place to deliver the plan and reaching out to young people who would like to be involved. 

“By amplifying young voices and encouraging collaboration, we are striving to shape a vibrant, sustainable, and forward-thinking future for our industry,” says John. 

The FEA team is developing plans behind the scenes now and members can expect to hear more during the coming months, ahead of full details at the FEA Conference on 12th-13th November 2025. Greg and John agree, “Watch this space.”

Anyone interested in getting involved and finding out more about the NextGen plans should contact John at the FEA,  john.cunningham@fea.org.uk. 

The FEA Industry Conference will be taking place on 12th & 13th November at De Vere Cotswold Water Park. Make sure you have the dates in your diary.

Are you looking for a particular foodservice equipment product or service?

FEA members operate across all of the product categories below:

  • Beverage
  • Cooking
  • Dealer / Wholesaler
  • Food Waste
  • Light Equipment and Food Preparation
  • Refrigeration
  • Servicing
  • Software
  • UK Fabrication and Manufacturing
  • Ventilation and Fire Suppression
  • Warewashing

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