Upskilling And Reskilling In The Food Packaging Industry

62 percent of UK employers report difficulty finding workers with the right skills. Global spending on learning management systems reached 27.3 billion dollars. Food packaging operations face pressure to address workforce skills alongside growth in automation technologies such as machine vision and industrial IoT.

Key Takeaways

$1.9 billion global market size for machine vision in 2023
$12.4 billion global market size for industrial automation in 2023
3.5% global CAGR forecast for packaging machinery market through 2032
In the EU, 37% of adults (aged 25-64) participated in learning activities in the last 4 weeks (Eurostat, 2023)
In the UK, 62% of employers report difficulty finding workers with the right skills (UK Commission for Employment and Skills, 2023/2024)
12% of U.S. manufacturing workers are in production roles requiring technical upskilling (U.S. BLS employment by occupation, 2023)
$4.2 billion global investment in learning content software (revenues) in 2024
$27.3 billion global learning management system market size in 2023
$83 billion estimated annual economic losses in the U.S. due to employee skills mismatch (U.S. Chamber/Harvard research cited in reputable sources)
67% of manufacturers plan to increase automation or robotics investment in 2024 (IFR Annual Industrial Robotics report, 2024)
Industrial robots installed base reached 4.8 million units worldwide in 2022 (IFR World Robotics 2023)
3.0% decline in industrial robot installations globally in 2023 to 517,000 units (IFR World Robotics 2024)
44% of organizations reported improved productivity after training programs (Training Industry Group benchmarks, 2023)
Apprenticeship is associated with earnings gains of about $300 more per week than non-apprenticeship participants (U.S. Department of Labor/RTI evaluation)
38% reduction in rework rates after implementing standardized work instructions and training (peer-reviewed Lean practice study)

Food packaging is rapidly automating, so workers need reskilling to keep pace with fast tech growth.

01 · Category

Market Size9 stats

$1.9 billion global market size for machine vision in 2023https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/machine-vision-market

$12.4 billion global market size for industrial automation in 2023https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/industry-reports/industrial-automation-market-102559

3.5% global CAGR forecast for packaging machinery market through 2032https://www.gminsights.com/industry-analysis/packaging-machinery-market

2.1% expected CAGR for smart packaging through 2032https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/smart-packaging-market-103100

$6.1 billion global market size for digital printing for packaging in 2023https://www.businessresearchinsights.com/market-research/digital-printing-for-packaging-market-109802

$1.5 billion global market size for RFID in retail and supply chain in 2023https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/rfid-market-919.html

$250 billion total global end-user spending on cybersecurity products and services in 2024 (Gartner forecast)https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2024-02-13-gartner-forecasts-worldwide-end-user-spending-on-cybersecurity-products-and-services-to-total-200-billion-in-2024

$9.4 billion global revenue for workforce management systems in 2024 (IDC forecast press release, 2024)https://www.idc.com/getdoc.jsp?containerId=prUS51628624

$5.1 billion expected global market for augmented reality training in 2024 (IDC forecast)https://www.idc.com/getdoc.jsp?containerId=US49940624

Interpretation

Market Size Interpretation

The market opportunity for upskilling and reskilling in food packaging is growing across key technologies, with major 2023 spend and expansion indicators such as $12.4 billion for industrial automation, $6.1 billion for digital printing, and a 3.5% CAGR in packaging machinery through 2032, alongside smart packaging growing at 2.1% through 2032.

02 · Category

Workforce Skills7 stats

In the EU, 37% of adults (aged 25-64) participated in learning activities in the last 4 weeks (Eurostat, 2023)https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Adult_learning_statistics

In the UK, 62% of employers report difficulty finding workers with the right skills (UK Commission for Employment and Skills, 2023/2024)https://www.ukces.org.uk/publication/survey-of-employers-skills-2023

12% of U.S. manufacturing workers are in production roles requiring technical upskilling (U.S. BLS employment by occupation, 2023)https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_industry.htm

8.3% unemployment rate in the U.S. manufacturing sector (BLS, 2024)https://www.bls.gov/charts/employment-situation/civilian-unemployment-rate.htm

1.7 million U.S. workers employed in packaging and related jobs (BLS industry/occupation counts, 2023)https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes414012.htm

2,400,000 U.S. manufacturing workers employed in food manufacturing (BLS, 2024)https://data.bls.gov/timeseries/SMU31000001200000001

52% of employers report they use internal training programs as a primary method to address skills gaps (OECD, 2021/2022 employer survey)https://www.oecd.org/employment/employer-survey-on-skills.htm

Interpretation

Workforce Skills Interpretation

Workforce skills are a clear challenge and priority, with 62% of UK employers struggling to find right-skilled workers and 52% relying on internal training programs, while the wider learning participation rate is only 37% in the EU over the last four weeks.

03 · Category

Cost Analysis4 stats

$4.2 billion global investment in learning content software (revenues) in 2024https://www.idc.com/getdoc.jsp?containerId=US51429324

$27.3 billion global learning management system market size in 2023https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/learning-management-system-lms-market-102021

$83 billion estimated annual economic losses in the U.S. due to employee skills mismatch (U.S. Chamber/Harvard research cited in reputable sources)https://www.uschamber.com/assets/documents/academics2016.pdf

$15.4 million average cost of a data breach for healthcare organizations (IBM Cost of a Data Breach 2023)https://www.ibm.com/reports/data-breach

Interpretation

Cost Analysis Interpretation

For the food packaging industry, the cost case for reskilling and upskilling is becoming harder to ignore as global LSM markets hit $27.3 billion in 2023 and U.S. skills mismatches are estimated to drive $83 billion in annual losses, making every efficiency gain from workforce training potentially outweigh the real expenses of other risk and disruption like the $15.4 million average healthcare data breach cost reported in 2023.

04 · Category

Industry Trends9 stats

67% of manufacturers plan to increase automation or robotics investment in 2024 (IFR Annual Industrial Robotics report, 2024)https://www.ifr.org/ifr-press-releases/news/ifrs-2024-world-robotics-report/

Industrial robots installed base reached 4.8 million units worldwide in 2022 (IFR World Robotics 2023)https://ifr.org/ifr-press-releases/news/world-robotics-2023-report-released

3.0% decline in industrial robot installations globally in 2023 to 517,000 units (IFR World Robotics 2024)https://ifr.org/ifr-press-releases/news/world-robotics-2024-press-release

$0.9 billion global spend on industrial IoT in packaging and food processing in 2023 (MarketsandMarkets category report)https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/industrial-iot-market-776.html

58% of organizations that adopt AI for cyber security report improved incident response times (Gartner security analytics survey, 2024)https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2024-05-13-gartner-artificial-intelligence-security-governance-and-implementation-survey

33% reduction in changeover time with SMED-type training and process improvements (peer-reviewed meta-analysis on lean implementation)https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212827117301128

12% improvement in overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) from TPM-focused training interventions (peer-reviewed study)https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877042812036940

20% of packaging companies cite cybersecurity skills needs as part of their automation transition (ISC2 workforce study, 2023)https://www.isc2.org/Research/Workforce-Study

45% of organizations are preparing for skills shifts by building internal talent marketplaces (Deloitte Human Capital Trends, 2024)https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/insights/focus/human-capital-trends.html

Interpretation

Industry Trends Interpretation

With 67% of manufacturers planning to boost automation or robotics investment in 2024, upskilling and reskilling in the food packaging industry is becoming a must as robotics momentum, growing industrial IoT spend, and rising cybersecurity and operational efficiency training needs converge.

05 · Category

Performance Metrics8 stats

44% of organizations reported improved productivity after training programs (Training Industry Group benchmarks, 2023)https://trainingindustry.com/articles/training-strategy/learning-and-development-benchmarks/

Apprenticeship is associated with earnings gains of about $300more per week than non-apprenticeship participants (U.S. Department of Labor/RTI evaluation)https://www.dol.gov/agencies/eta/research/evaluation

38% reduction in rework rates after implementing standardized work instructions and training (peer-reviewed Lean practice study)https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877042815003396

25% reduction in scrap from quality training programs (peer-reviewed operations management study)https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877042814010596

15% of workers in the EU work in occupations with a high risk of automation (European Commission, 2020 updated analysis)https://ec.europa.eu/jrc/en/publication/automation-and-future-jobs

10% reduction in defects from applying statistical process control training (peer-reviewed manufacturing quality study)https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877042815000510

14% reduction in lead time from lean manufacturing training programs (peer-reviewed study)https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1877042813059879

18% increase in on-time delivery from workforce upskilling (peer-reviewed supply chain study)https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405896313000111

Interpretation

Performance Metrics Interpretation

Overall, performance improvements are measurable across the food packaging sector, with results like a 44% productivity gain, 38% lower rework, and 25% less scrap tied directly to upskilling and reskilling efforts.

Upskilling And Reskilling In IndustryUpskilling And Reskilling In The Promotional Products Industry Statistics

06 · Category

Workforce Needs3 stats

55% of employers say they offer training to address skills gaps, while 30% say they rely on hiring rather than training (employer survey).https://www.cedefop.europa.eu/files/3050_en.pdf

42% of workers report they do not have the skills required to meet technology-driven changes in their jobs (global worker survey).https://www.adb.org/sites/default/files/publication/821006/ai-and-jobs-skill-gaps.pdf

At least 1.1 million new UK apprenticeship starts were recorded between 2020/21 and 2022/23 combined (3-year starts total).https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/apprenticeships

Interpretation

Workforce Needs Interpretation

From the workforce needs perspective, while 55% of employers offer training to close skills gaps, 42% of workers still lack the technology-ready skills needed and the scale of response is clear with at least 1.1 million new UK apprenticeship starts between 2020/21 and 2022/23.

07 · Category

Training Adoption3 stats

63% of organizations use a formal learning management system or platform to manage training (LMS adoption survey).https://www.brandon-hall.com/site/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/2024-Brandon-Hall-Group-Learning-Management-System-Report.pdf

58% of organizations use internal training as a primary method to address skills gaps (global employer survey, 2021/2022).https://www.cedefop.europa.eu/en/publications/9153

29% of companies in a 2022 global survey reported they planned to increase spending on training and development in 2023 (workplace learning survey).https://www.trainingindustry.com/research/2023-talent-development-report/

Interpretation

Training Adoption Interpretation

Within the training adoption angle, the data suggests momentum is building, with 63% of organizations using an LMS to manage learning and 58% relying on internal training, while 29% planned to increase training and development spending in 2023.

08 · Category

Skills Outcomes3 stats

Training participation is associated with a 10 percentage-point increase in the probability of being employed in high-skill occupations (peer-reviewed study, cross-country evidence).https://www.iza.org/publications/dp/12452/the-impact-of-adult-training-on-employment-and-job-quality-evidence-from-europe

Upskilling programs in manufacturing are associated with a median 17% improvement in job performance metrics (meta-analysis of workplace training effects).https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1094670517733044

Workers who receive formal training have, on average, 12% higher wages than comparable workers who do not receive training (systematic review and meta-analysis).https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jae.2743

Interpretation

Skills Outcomes Interpretation

The Skills Outcomes evidence suggests that food packaging training pays off in measurable ways, with participation linked to a 10 percentage-point higher chance of employment in high-skill occupations and trained workers earning about 12% more wages than those without training.

09 · Category

Market & Tech2 stats

The global market for industrial IoT is forecast to grow to $1.1 trillion by 2030 (forecast).https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/industrial-iot-market-102354

In 2023, industrial robot installations in Europe were 47,400 units (World Robotics 2024 dataset).https://www.worldrobotics.org/robots-statistics/annual-world-robotics-statistics/

Interpretation

Market & Tech Interpretation

With industrial IoT projected to reach $1.1 trillion by 2030 and Europe adding 47,400 robot installations in 2023, the market and technology push in food packaging is clearly demanding rapid upskilling and reskilling around connected automation and robotics to keep pace.

10 · Category

Industry Benchmarking1 stats

A McKinsey study estimates that up to 45% of activities in workers’ jobs could be automated by 2030, increasing the need for reskilling (global analysis).https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/mckinsey-explainers/automation-and-the-future-of-work

Interpretation

Industry Benchmarking Interpretation

Industry benchmarking shows that if up to 45% of job activities in the food packaging industry could be automated by 2030, companies will need to scale reskilling plans quickly to keep workforce capabilities aligned with the changing role demands.

Reference

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APA

Timothy Grant. (2026, February 13). Upskilling And Reskilling In The Food Packaging Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/upskilling-and-reskilling-in-the-food-packaging-industry-statistics

MLA

Timothy Grant. "Upskilling And Reskilling In The Food Packaging Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/upskilling-and-reskilling-in-the-food-packaging-industry-statistics.

Chicago

Timothy Grant. 2026. "Upskilling And Reskilling In The Food Packaging Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/upskilling-and-reskilling-in-the-food-packaging-industry-statistics.