Former engineers with the military are being sought by Sterling Choice to help food manufacturers keep operating
The appeal comes from recruitment agency The Sterling Choice, based in Cygnet Road, in Hampton, which warns that many food firms are struggling to find the engineers they need.
The company has launched a recruitment drive to tap into what it says is a pool of ex-military talent in the area that can help to meet the shortfall across the region and further afield.
A new survey shows some food industry employers are spending more than £30,0000 a year trying to recruit the right engineers.
It is predicted that in the UK within three years there will be a shortage of 1.8 million engineers and people with technical qualifications.
The situation is being made worse that engineers that have been in the workplace for more than 30 years are nearing retirement age.