National Wine Careers Week returns, backed by growing industry momentum
National Wine Careers Week will return from 9 – 15 May 2026, building on the positive industry and trade engagement generated by its launch last year and continuing its mission to raise awareness of the wide range of careers available across the UK wine sector.
Led by Plumpton College, home of the UK Wine Education Centre, and founding partner Nyetimber – the pioneers of English sparkling wine, and long-time supporters of Plumpton College –the campaign aims to showcase the broad spectrum of roles across the wine trade and production sectors and to collaborate with businesses across the wine sector to help amplify and highlight the diverse career paths available.
The initiative is also supported by WSET, WineGB and Drinks United. Now in its second year, National Wine Careers Week also promotes the extensive training and skills development opportunities that support long-term career progression within the industry.
The UK wine sector is a huge asset to the UK, both in terms of its contribution to the economy and the number of jobs it sustains, generating some £8.9 billion in Gross Value Added and supporting over 412,000 jobs*. Within this, the UK’s domestic wine industry continues to expand, now employing around 3,300 full-time equivalent roles, alongside approximately 13,000 seasonal positions, with further workforce growth (21%) forecast in the coming years**.
Despite this scale and growth, careers within the wine sector remain relatively under the radar among job seekers. National Wine Careers Week aims to address this by improving visibility, sharing real career stories and providing practical routes into the sector.
Throughout the week, activity will take place both digitally and in person. A dedicated website, social media campaign and targeted PR programme will support the initiative, alongside industry-led events and opportunities designed to showcase career pathways and training routes. Further details of activities will be announced over the coming weeks.
The campaign will also feature a network of industry ambassadors from across the sector, sharing their career journeys and helping to illustrate the breadth of opportunities available.
Jeremy Kerswell, Principal of Plumpton College, said: “The wine industry is an exciting and dynamic sector that offers opportunities at many different levels. National Wine Careers Week helps demonstrate the wide range of skills and talents that are needed across the industry and encourages more people to consider wine as a rewarding long-term career.”
Eric Heerema, Owner and CEO of The Nyetimber Group, said: “We are proud to support National Wine Careers Week and its focus on encouraging people to explore careers in wine. At Nyetimber, we think in generations, not years, and as one of the UK’s largest employers in the wine industry, we recognise the importance of nurturing new talent. The sector offers a wide range of career pathways, and initiatives like this are vital in helping the industry continue to grow and thrive.”
Businesses and individuals across the wine sector are encouraged to support the campaign by sharing career stories, hosting events or engaging online. A participation toolkit is available to help organisations get involved.Further information can be found at www.winecareersweek.co.uk
* WSTA The UK Wine and Spirit Trade In Focus Report, published July 2025: Incl WSTA Economics Analysis study of Wine & Spirit industry conducted by Cebr analysis of NIQ off-trade and CGA on-trade data | total wine & spirits | MAT 2022 data, HMRC Alcohol Bulletin, MESAS, HMRC Trade Info.
** WineGB Annual Industry Report published July 2025