A Burntwood manufacturer is launching a major recruitment drive to tackle the growing skills shortage in the UK packaging industry.
Lesters Packaging, which specialises in corrugated boxes and bespoke packaging solutions, is creating ten new machine operator roles at its state-of-the-art Mount Road site as part of efforts to attract new talent into a sector struggling to fill technical roles since the pandemic.
The move comes alongside significant investment in a specialist training programme designed to grow skills from within. The initiative combines apprenticeships with opportunities for experienced engineers from other sectors—such as aerospace, automotive and machine tools—to retrain for packaging production.
Managing director Billy Hutchinson said the company had to “take its own action” to bridge the widening skills gap.
He said: “Fewer young people are entering our sector and this, when combined with an ageing workforce, means our industry faces a serious shortage unless we act.
“We’re creating new roles to expand capacity as demand continues to rise, and offering structured training so that people can build long-term careers in packaging.”
New recruits will work with advanced machinery capable of producing up to 15,000 boxes an hour. The company, which has seen its revenues rise by £7 million since 2023, supplies packaging to automotive, engineering, medical and retail clients nationwide.
Lesters recently achieved the prestigious ‘AA’ BRCGS standard for product quality and safety and continues to invest in staff development, offering competitive pay, mentoring and career progression.
“Our operators aren’t just a number – they’re at the heart of what we do,” Hutchinson added. “Many of our team have been with us for more than a decade.”
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