Nestlé Engages Future Workforce with Immersive Factory Experience for High School Students
Nestlé USA is deepening its commitment to workforce development through a hands-on partnership with local high schools aimed at building interest and skills for careers in manufacturing and the broader FMCG sector.
At its Anderson, Indiana facility, Nestlé recently hosted more than two dozen high school students from nearby Alexandria-Monroe High School and Pendleton Heights High School for a daylong on-site engagement. This marks the company’s second annual factory immersion event, organized in collaboration with the Indiana-based nonprofit Dream Technicians, which seeks to connect students with meaningful career opportunities in technical industries.
During the visit, students learned directly from Nestlé managers and frontline workers, toured the expansive 1.2 million-square-foot facility—one of the largest Nestlé factories globally—and took part in mock interviews and career-readiness activities. The event also included breakout sessions aligned with student interests, spanning fields from maintenance and quality control to supply chain and human resources.
The initiative comes amid a stubborn labor shortage across U.S. manufacturing sectors. According to the National Association of Manufacturers, the manufacturing industry could face up to 2.1 million unfilled jobs by 2030 if current trends persist. For Nestlé and other FMCG manufacturers, proactive talent pipeline initiatives like this are becoming essential strategies to ensure future operational resilience.
“We want to inspire these students by showing them the kinds of opportunities available in a facility like ours,” said Stephen Christy, Human Resources Manager at the Anderson plant. “This is as much about career education as it is about investing in the next generation of talent.”
Nestlé’s Anderson facility, which produces top frozen brands such as DiGiorno, Tombstone, and California Pizza Kitchen, employs approximately 850 people and serves as a critical manufacturing hub in the company’s North American supply chain. Beyond production, the factory has evolved into a professional development platform, offering apprenticeships and mentoring programs in partnership with local educational institutions.
With plans to continue and potentially expand the program in future years, Nestlé’s initiative highlights a growing trend among FMCG manufacturers: bridging education and industry to secure talent pipelines and promote local economic development.