FEA NextGen is an initiative and programme of events for the next generation of hospitality professionals. It aims to empower, support and inspire people entering the sector. FES is proud to support its work. NextGen helps showcase career opportunities, support early-career development and strengthen links between education and the foodservice equipment industry.
FEA NextGen brings together students, apprentices and early-career professionals through a range of events, networking opportunities and industry engagement activities. It provides a platform for new voices to be heard, supports professional development and helps strengthen relationships between education providers and the foodservice equipment industry.
The foodservice equipment industry needs new skills, fresh thinking and people who can carry its knowledge forward. Supporting early-career professionals helps the sector build a stronger workforce and gives more people the confidence to see foodservice equipment as a genuine long-term career.
NextGen helps make the industry more visible by showcasing the variety of careers available, including engineering, service, sales, logistics, design and project management.
It also supports people who are new to the sector by helping them understand the foodservice equipment supply chain, develop their confidence and connect with others across the industry.
| Career area | Examples of work |
|---|---|
| Engineering and service | Diagnosing faults, repairing and maintaining commercial catering equipment. |
| Design | Planning commercial kitchens, equipment layouts and product solutions. |
| Spares and technical support | Identifying parts, interpreting technical diagrams and supporting customers and engineers. |
| Sales | Advising customers and developing suitable equipment, parts and service solutions. |
| Logistics | Managing stock, deliveries, parts and supply chains. |
| Project management | Coordinating installations, refurbishments and commercial kitchen projects. |
Isabelle Harvey
Member of the FEA NextGen Leadership Team
We are especially proud that Isabelle Harvey from Foodservice Equipment Spares is a member of the FEA NextGen Leadership Team. Through her involvement, Isabelle is helping represent newer voices in the sector and support the future direction of the foodservice equipment industry.
Isabelle brings a younger perspective to the Leadership Team, informed by her own experience of entering the foodservice equipment sector and learning about the range of roles available within it.
Her involvement also gives FES the opportunity to support wider work around career awareness, early-career development and stronger links between education and the foodservice equipment industry.
As part of the Leadership Team, Isabelle will help contribute ideas, share experiences from within FES and support initiatives designed to make the sector easier to understand and more attractive to people considering their future careers.
Her role reflects FES’s wider commitment to supporting future talent and helping the next generation recognise the long-term opportunities available across engineering, service, spares, logistics, sales and project management.
FES is proud to support FEA NextGen and the next generation of professionals shaping the foodservice equipment industry. By supporting initiatives that improve career awareness, early-career development and connections across the sector, we can help more people discover the range of long-term opportunities available within foodservice.
› Career awareness
› Early-career development
› Stronger links between education and industry
› A clearer route into foodservice careers
At FES, we believe the future of foodservice depends on investing in people. Supporting the next generation means helping new professionals understand the industry, develop their confidence and recognise the range of long-term careers available across the sector.
The foodservice equipment industry relies on practical knowledge, technical ability, strong customer support and experienced people who understand how commercial kitchens operate. That knowledge needs to be passed on, but it also needs to be supported by fresh ideas, new perspectives and people who are prepared to shape the industry’s future.
By supporting FEA NextGen, FES is helping raise awareness of the sector and the many different career routes available within it. These opportunities extend far beyond engineering and include service, design, spares, sales, logistics, project management and technical support.
NextGen also gives people who are new to the industry the chance to build connections, learn from others and understand how the different parts of the foodservice equipment supply chain work together.
We are proud to support an initiative that is helping make the industry more visible, more accessible and more attractive to the people who will carry it forward.
