Food and beverage manufacturers are heading into 2026 facing a tougher workforce situation. Hiring is still difficult, but the nature of the work is also changing quickly.
Factories are dealing with ongoing turnover, stricter regulations and audits, and faster adoption of automation, digital records, and AI on the production floor. These changes are shifting which skills are important, how fast teams need to learn new ones, and what it means to be prepared from day one.
In our Q&A with John Loyack, Vice President of Economic Development for the North Carolina Community College System (NCCCS), and Chris Reedy, Senior Director for Food, Beverage and Natural Products at BioNetwork, we take a closer look at what’s causing today’s workforce challenges and what happens when manufacturers take a more active role in building talent pipelines, from early talks about skill gaps to training that fits real shift schedules. We also explore when tech-enabled learning is useful (and when it is not), the key skill groups that are now essential, and practical ways to keep skills up to date without interrupting operations.
What are the biggest changes and challenges shaping the F&B workforce pipeline in 2026? And what are the biggest misconceptions employers still have about solving the talent gap?
John Loyack: The workforce pipeline is being shaped by a combination of factors: a highly competitive labor market, rising regulatory complexity, and rapid adoption of advanced production technologies including robotics, digital systems, and AI. Turnover remains high, hovering around 30-32% annually, creating instability across shifts and challenging continuity of institutional knowledge.
Plants in rural areas may struggle to find and retain employees with production and quality management experience, while those in larger population centers face competition from other manufacturers. Additionally, ongoing FDA, USDA, and third-party auditing changes require continuous upskilling for operators, maintenance personnel, quality managers, and supervisors.
Chris Reedy: Even well-intentioned teams can fall short simply due to bandwidth overload. Manufacturers are not only expected to maintain baseline food safety and GMP training, but also comply with new product technologies, evolving audit standards, and regulatory requirements. Structured training programs, apprenticeships, and partnerships with external organizations provide real value in addressing these challenges.
JL: A common misconception employers have is that talent can simply be hired off the street. Skilled employees in food safety, regulatory compliance, and quality management are scarce. Through programs like NCCCS, manufacturers can grow talent internally, provide career pathways, and apply structured training directly in operational environments. This approach is far more effective, and cost-efficient, than relying on external hiring alone.
CR: Turnover costs almost always exceed training investments. Companies that shift their perspective from training as a cost center to an investment, and that build real career pathways while fostering a positive culture, will retain more talent, bridge the skills gap, and see stronger performance overall.
You noted that employers are becoming “architects” of workforce pipelines. What does the best employer–community college partnership look like in practice, from the first conversation to workers on the line?
JL: The strongest partnerships begin with listening. Through NCCCS programs, we work directly with employers to identify skill gaps and co-develop programs that meet operational needs. Whether it’s customized training, apprenticeship programs, or short-term upskilling courses, NCCCS provides the structure and resources to bring these programs to life effectively.
CR: At BioNetwork, our process starts with a needs assessment driven by the company’s pain points. From there, training is customized and developed with direct employer input, then implemented in a way that fits their operation. Companies are part of the design process — they aren’t passive recipients.
JL: Being an “architect” means employers aren’t just consumers of talent, they intentionally build pipelines alongside community colleges and workforce partners, preparing employees from entry-level roles to technical and supervisory positions.
Hybrid and tech-enhanced training (e.g., VR/AR, simulations, mobile labs) sounds promising. What are the benefits over more traditional training?
JL: Flexibility is the biggest advantage. Manufacturers need training that works around production schedules, not the other way around. Short-format, modular training allows employees to upskill without disrupting operations. Programs like NCCCS can offer hybrid, VR/AR, and mobile lab options so training can reach employees where they are — on the line, across shifts, or in remote locations.
CR: Tech-enhanced training, when implemented correctly, allows employees to learn at their convenience with minimal production impact. Keeping training short, interactive, and easily consumable improves comprehension and retention, especially for baseline topics like GMPs, sanitation, and equipment use. However, some regulatory and quality management training still requires longer, instructor-led formats, and not every company has the internal capacity to maintain advanced LMS systems to maintain subject matter experts in regulatory and quality management compliance courses.
JL: A blended approach — tech-enhanced where appropriate, traditional instruction where necessary — tends to deliver the best results.
For the next-gen, tech-savvy workforce, what are the must-have skill clusters F&B plants should be building and investing in now?
JL: Future-ready F&B workforces need strong foundational skills paired with digital fluency. Three clusters stand out: digital documentation systems, automated production systems, and data-driven decision-making enabled by AI.
CR: Digital documentation systems now dominate FDA compliance and quality management. Employees must understand how to interact with these systems to improve audit readiness, productivity, and quality. That includes accessing data, interpreting trends, and making informed process adjustments. Interaction with PLCs and automated production systems is key, and agentic AI can help identify trends, though employees must still interpret data and make process adjustments.
JL: Automation skills are equally critical. Programs like NCCCS help manufacturers train employees on these systems, ensuring skills are immediately applicable on the line. Investing in these skill clusters now ensures technology delivers its promised ROI.
What proven strategies can F&B manufacturers adopt to ensure their workforce capabilities stay current in a rapidly evolving industry?
JL: Staying current requires intentional, ongoing investment, not one-off training events. Successful manufacturers balance technology adoption, training, and workforce retention.
CR: To keep workforce capabilities current, manufacturers should invest in technologies that increase operational bandwidth, like digital documentation systems integrated with AI and automated production. They also need training to help employees effectively use these systems while continuously upskilling teams to keep pace with evolving FDA regulations and third-party audit standards.
JL: Retention remains critical. Clear career pathways, skill progression, and internal mobility keep institutional knowledge inside the organization and reduce costly turnover. Leveraging external partners allows manufacturers to scale training, address gaps efficiently, and focus on producing safe, high-quality food.
John Loyack is the Vice President of Economic Development for the North Carolina Community College System. In this role, Loyack leads the operation of the Economic Development Division, which includes ApprenticeshipNC, BioNetwork, Customized Training, and the Small Business Center Network. The Economic Development team provides education, training, and support services for new, expanding, and existing business and industry in all 100 North Carolina counties through its network of 58 community colleges. Before joining the System, Loyack worked for the Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina and the North Carolina Department of Commerce as well as with companies like MercuryMD, Thomson Reuters, Time Warner, and Esteve Laboratories. Loyack earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and Spanish from Gettysburg College and holds an MBA in International Business Management from the Thunderbird School of Global Management.
Chris Reedy is Senior Director of BioNetwork’s Food, Beverage, and Natural Products division, where he works with North Carolina’s community colleges and industry partners to deliver practical, results-driven training in food safety, FDA/USDA regulatory compliance, third-party audits, and quality management systems. With 16 years of experience shaping the local and statewide food industry, his background includes FDA compliance, food safety, and quality management training. He began his career at Blue Ridge Food Ventures and has served as an adjunct instructor with BioNetwork and A-B Tech, developing and teaching GMP courses for the food, supplement, and cosmetic industries.
Chris’s division operates the Natural Products Lab, which provides analytical testing for food, supplement, and beverage manufacturers, including free multiparameter beer and spirits testing for North Carolina craft producers. A Louisville, KY native, Chris holds a bachelor’s degree in Finance from the University of Kentucky and an MBA from Xavier University’s Williams College of Business.
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