Since its launch last year, the programme’s dedicated jobs portal, Food and Drink Jobs Wales, has listed 3,322 vacancies, which were accessed by more than 1,271 employers, with 629 executive roles currently available. As jobseekers consider their career paths, the platform is proving to be a vital gateway to access opportunities across Wales’ growing food and drink sector.

To note the continued progress of the programme, Rhiain Williams, Marketing Officer for the Welsh Government’s Food and Drink Skills Wales programme, said: “Our programme is designed to help employers in the food and drink sector plan, train and grow, ensuring they have access to the skilled workforce they need to thrive. Through Food and Drink Jobs Wales, we offer a direct and effective pathway between businesses and jobseekers exploring new or different career opportunities in the industry.

“As the sector seeks to build strong teams for the year ahead, we are proud to support employers like Radnor Hills to reach people who want to build a long-term career in the food and drink industry in Wales.”

This positive increase is reflected in Radnor Hills, one of the UK’s leading independent soft drinks manufacturers based in Knighton, Powys. The family business produces over 350 million drinks each year, using ultra-pure Welsh spring water drawn directly from boreholes on site.

Radnor Hills has been a pioneer in the field of Tetra Pak for over a decade. In 2018, they became the first in Europe to install the 125ml Prism Pack line, a format designed specifically for young children. The demand for its products has continued to increase, and

recently reinforced by a major collaboration with Disney, which launched with Stitch-themed cartoons with more characters planned.

In 2025, Radnor installed a fast, state-of-the-art Tetra Pak line, which was officially opened in September. The new line increases carton capacity by 150%, producing 30,000 units per hour, and represents a significant part of the company’s multi-million pound investment in future growth. The technology is also more energy efficient, less labor-intensive, and produces many more packages per unit of energy.

The upgraded line enables the creation of more than 20 new jobs, from line runners and fork-lift drivers to roles in sales and marketing. Many existing employees have also upskilled into new jobs through the company’s partnership with Tetra Pak, and its engineers provide regular hands-on training on site.

The Welsh Government’s Food and Drink Skills Wales programme has been working closely with Radnor Hills to support long-term workforce planning, training and recruitment. As part of this collaboration, Radnor Hills is now promoting its vacancies through Food and Drink Jobs Wales, making it easier for people across Wales to access career opportunities in a fast-growing business.

Simon Knight, Managing Director of Radnor Hills, said: “Our new Tetraline is a major step forward for Radnor Hills and reflects our commitment to innovation, efficiency and continued growth. The line allows us to produce more sustainably, using less energy while increasing output to meet growing customer demand, including exciting new partnerships such as our collaboration with Disney.

“As we expand, having the right skills and the right people is critical. The support from the Food and Drink Skills Wales programme has been invaluable, especially in helping us reach new applicants through the Food and Drink Wales Jobs noticeboard.”

Through specific training and development opportunities, including innovation, sustainability, leadership and digital transformation, the Food and Drink Skills Wales programme helps employers across Wales to build skilled and flexible teams that are equipped to meet the evolving needs of the industry.

The programme supports the Welsh Government’s long-term vision to strengthen the competitiveness of the food and drink industry, ensuring that businesses, particularly those in processing and manufacturing, are ready to grow, innovate and thrive in the years to come.

A dedicated Jobs Noticeboard for the Welsh Government’s Food and Drink Skills Wales programme can be found here: fooddrinkjobs.wales

For more information about the Welsh Government’s Food and Drink Skills Wales programme, visit: fooddrinkskills.wales