New campaign aims to highlight the many career options offered within the UK wine sector, which currently employs over 400,000 people

A new campaign is being launched to raise awareness and increase understanding of the wide range of careers available in the wine sector both in the UK and globally.

Taking place from the 12th – 18th May, National Wine Careers Week aims to demonstrate not just how many jobs the UK wine sector provides, but also their breadth and diversity; from viticulture to winemaking, quality control, import and export, logistics, investment, buying and selling, marketing, hospitality and tourism to name a few.  Additionally, the sector offers many opportunities to build a successful career, grow in knowledge and gain lifelong qualifications.

The campaign is being driven by Plumpton College, one of the leading land and environment colleges in the UK and the home of the UK Wine Education Centre. It is proudly supported by leading English sparkling wine brand Nyetimber, one of the UK’s largest individual employers in the UK wine industry. The campaign is also supported by WSET, WineGB and Drinks United.

The wine market is a sizeable sector within the UK, generating over £10bn in Gross Value Added to the UK economy*. It is also a significant employer, supporting some 413k jobs in the UK**. Within this, the UK’s developing domestic wine industry has seen exponential growth in vineyards (now over 1,000) and hectarage planted (up 123% in just ten years), sales, tourism and employment***. Despite this, people considering the job market rarely look at options within the sector, as they are seldom made aware of them – if at all.

Jeremy Kerswell, Principal of Plumpton College said: “The wine industry is an exciting and dynamic sector, offering many different opportunities and entry levels to many people. We want to highlight the various skills and talents that can be tangibly applied to any number of jobs at whatever level of experience and expertise. Ultimately, we want to showcase the fabulous career opportunities that exist whilst also allowing the wine industry to appeal to a wider pool of talent for their future workforce – at such an important time for business.”

Eric Heerema, Owner and CEO of The Nyetimber Group said, “We are very proud to be supporting the inaugural National Wine Careers Week, which shines a light on the breadth and diversity of jobs within the UK wine industry. At Nyetimber, we think in generations, not in years, and as one of the largest employers within the UK wine industry, we want to welcome in new talent who can help this fantastic sector continue to grow. Each year we work with Plumpton College to offer work experience to its students, and it’s been amazing to see the different areas of specialism that our hires go on to pursue; demonstrating that a career in wine can take people in so many exciting directions.”

In this inaugural year, the campaign will be primarily promoted on digital platforms, focussing on awareness-building across the trade to encourage wider uptake.  Consumer-facing PR is also being developed to target those who are making career decisions – at whatever stage of their lives – and those that help them in their decision-making.

Businesses and individuals across the wine sector are invited to get involved by engaging across social media. A toolkit has been devised with hints and tips on how to get involved.

Events will be taking place to allow people to explore opportunities further:

Plumpton College are hosting their Open Day & Spring Fair on Saturday 10th May, where the wine department will be open. Experts will be on hand to talk through various career options within the sector, and the portfolio of training and qualifications on offer (from short courses to degrees, ranging from viticulture and winemaking, to business and marketing).

WSET London School are hosting a Careers in Wine session on Tuesday 13th May, with a guest panel of speakers from different areas of the wine world and different levels of career.

And, with many of the UK’s vineyards open to visitors throughout the year, there are always opportunities to go and see first-hand what a career in production, hospitality or tourism would entail.

The aim is to build this campaign over the coming years, to extend the reach to a wider audience, and resonate with colleges, career advisors and other influencers that a career in this sector has a great future.

ENDS

www.winecareersweek.co.uk

For further information please contact:

Julia Trustram Eve, campaign co-ordinator: julia@trustrameve.com

Liz Mouland, Head of Marketing, Plumpton College: liz.mouland@plumpton.ac.uk

Instagram: @winecareersweek

Facebook: National Wine Careers Week

LinkedIn: @winecareersweek

About National Wine Careers Week:

National Wine Careers Week (NWCW) is a nationwide initiative aimed at raising awareness and fostering a deeper understanding of the diverse career opportunities within the UK wine industry and wider wine trade. The campaign will shine a light on the broad spectrum of roles across the sector, and the wide scope of talents and skills employed.

NWCW is committed to collaborating with businesses across the wine sector to help amplify and highlight the diverse career paths available. Ultimately the aim is to expand the reach of this dynamic sector to a wider audience and engage with and inspire with those who may not have previously considered a career in wine.

The campaign will also promote the educational training available to support career development and foster skills and growth within the sector to help individuals at any stage of their career journey. By demonstrating that the sector offers viable and exciting career paths, NWCW will encourage individuals of all backgrounds and skill sets to explore the many roles within this vibrant industry.

How to get involved in National Wine Careers Week:

We’re asking individuals and businesses in the trade and industry to engage with the campaign and communicate the message about #winecareersweek on their social platforms – sharing their journey into wine and help illustrate some of the many careers there are, and how to access those opportunities. A toolkit has been produced with hints and tips on how to get involved. Access to the toolkit is here or contact Julia Trustram Eve for more information.

About Plumpton College:
Plumpton College is situated in the heart of the South Downs National Park, East Sussex.  The College is one of only 11 independent land-based colleges nationally, offering a broad specialist curriculum in 19 course areas including school-based programmes for 14 to 16-year-olds, courses for 16–19-year-olds, apprentices, and a range of degree subjects and diverse courses for employers and adults. The college is partnered with the University of Greenwich for its Higher Education courses. 

Plumpton College is home to the UK’s Wine Centre of Excellence – the hub for wine education, research, and production since 1989. The wine centre is at the forefront of training the next generation of wine industry leaders in the UK and beyond, whose alumni are now shaping the future of the UK wine industry, leading in innovation and quality from vineyard to bottle.

A winner of the prestigious Queen’s Anniversary Prize for wine education and training, Plumpton offers a full suite of programmes from short courses and CPD to degrees up to master’s level in viticulture, winemaking and wine business, as well as a viticulture apprenticeship.

Their commercial winery produces up to 40,000 bottles of award-winning wine each year, made by their expert team of international wine makers and specialists.

About Nyetimber:

For 37 years, Nyetimber has had one single aim: crafting exceptional English sparkling wine that rivals the very best in the world.

A true pioneer, Nyetimber was the first producer of English sparkling wine to exclusively grow the three celebrated grape varieties: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Pinot Meunier. Regarded by many as England’s finest sparkling wine, Nyetimber is made from one hundred percent estate-grown grapes.

Owner and CEO Eric Heerema acquired Nyetimber in 2006 and is the visionary and driving force behind Nyetimber today.    

Nyetimber has 11 vineyards spanning 425 hectares in West Sussex, Hampshire, and Kent and is served in some of the most renowned venues in the UK.

*DEFRA Dec 2023 https://www.gov.uk/government/news/english-sparkling-wine-makers-raise-a-glass-to-new-opportunities

** 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 Report published July 2024