Peter Macqueen, Associate Head of the Creative Industries Institute at Sheffield Hallam University, explains how embracing equity, diversity, and inclusion alongside sustainability is driving a transformative shift in the packaging industry.

The manufacturing industry, particularly within sectors like packaging, is transforming its approach to equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI). Manufacturing has long been dominated by older white men, a trend especially prominent in senior roles throughout the 90s and early 2000s. However, the push for a more inclusive workforce—one that better reflects the diversity of society—is gaining momentum.

Historically, industries like manufacturing have struggled to attract diverse talent, often creating a self-reinforcing cycle of exclusivity. However, apprenticeship programs are now making a tangible impact, bringing in younger, more diverse individuals and shifting the cultural landscape. In a sector where men represent about 70% of the workforce, more than half of today’s apprentices are women—marking a significant cultural shift. This shift is also driven by job movers and career changers, who are entering the industry with fresh perspectives, often motivated by sustainability challenges that resonate with a new generation.

According to Peter Macqueen, Leading Packaging Academic at Sheffield Hallan University and confirmed speaker at Packaging Innovations & Empack 2025, these changes reflect a broader industry realisation: embracing EDI is not just about ticking boxes but unlocking innovation and tackling key issues like sustainability.

“I think it can be a sensitive subject because, for many people, the moment you turn to EDI, they’ll turn around and think you’re creating a synthetic situation,” he told Packaging Innovations & Empack. “There can be some caution around conversations in the diversity and inclusion space at times. But it’s a real issue that is widely recognised, especially in the manufacturing sector. The industry has been white and male-dominated for a long time.

“When I first started in the late 90s, there were predominantly older white men in nearly every senior position in every company I worked for. In most of the junior positions, there were slightly younger white men. That’s just how it was. This is not to criticise white men, but it doesn’t mean there’s anything wrong with acknowledging that the industry needs to realise the importance of EDI. In the same way, we account for ageing populations and adjust user experiences and packaging to reflect the makeup of society, few people would disagree that industries should be more reflective of the people they serve.”

Breaking the cycle of exclusivity
Industries dominated by a single group often develop an exclusive atmosphere, making attracting diverse talent increasingly difficult and less appealing. This creates a self-perpetuating cycle where the industry appears less inclusive, further deterring underrepresented groups from joining. Shifting such an ingrained culture is a significant challenge. However, apprenticeship programmes have played a remarkable role in addressing this issue across several workplaces. The progress isn’t solely due to these programs—employers and industry partners are also eager to see their workforces become more reflective of the diverse, changing world.

Macqueen is playing a pivotal role in shaping the future of the UK packaging industry. Under his leadership, the university’s innovative undergraduate programme prepares students to meet the demands of a rapidly evolving sector. As the industry faces challenges from sustainable initiatives and regulatory changes to the adoption of cutting-edge materials, his involvement in a session titled ‘Nourishing Packaging Talent: Meet the new faces of the manufacturing sector’ at February’s Packaging Innovations & Empack underscores the importance of academia-industry partnerships in equipping the next generation with the expertise needed to transform the packaging landscape.

“More than half of our apprentices are female,” Macqueen continued. “That’s significant, considering that the industry is male-dominated—many stats put the male workforce at around 70%. So, having more than half of our students be female represents a real cultural shift. Beyond that, we’re seeing younger individuals entering the industry. In our apprenticeship program, we take a mix of mid-career upskillers and new starters to the sector. But we’re also seeing an interesting third category: job movers—people who may have worked for a few years in different roles, often starting as temps or in unrelated positions.

“Many job movers are leaning into the programme rather than moving around. They’re considering shifting into more operational or packaging-specific roles within organisations that may not have packaging as a core business. These individuals are also signing up for the programme, which shows a demographic shift, particularly trending toward more women. Historically, it’s been easier for brands to attract a more diverse workforce, and we’re certainly seeing that trend continue.

“That tended to be the case: you’d get a more mixed picture when working in a brand portfolio. However, for manufacturers, I genuinely believe that initiatives like the apprenticeship route are attractive to young people, particularly because of the "learn while you earn" perspective.”

Sustainability as a catalyst for workforce diversity
These collaborations have focused on addressing key sustainability challenges, attracting a demographic that might not have previously considered roles in packaging technology or manufacturing. By emphasising the importance of sustainability, the sector has begun appealing to individuals who bring fresh perspectives and diverse backgrounds, reshaping the industry’s workforce in previously unseen ways.

This multifaceted and complex evolution underscores the tangible benefits of embracing equity, diversity, and inclusion. Macqueen believes that by leaning into EDI, organisations are addressing the immediate need for a more representative workforce and gaining access to new ideas and approaches that have long been missing.

“I think for a long time, there’s been some resistance among people working in the industry,” he added. “It’s as if they don’t want to air their dirty laundry publicly. Discussing sustainability while advertising for a packaging role—or even talking about packaging-related roles—can feel like admitting there’s a problem. You wouldn’t want to advertise a sustainability lead, which implies that your current business isn’t sustainable.

“But this is another area where people have been willing to shift. Few manufacturers these days are unwilling to acknowledge that there are areas where they need to improve. Companies are becoming more open about discussing their efforts and advertising the fact that they’re in the process of developing solutions. They’re not claiming to have solved everything but showing that they take sustainability challenges seriously.

“This approach dovetails with public awareness—people are demanding to see sustainable change, or at least to know that companies are working toward it. They want companies to make justifiable, understandable decisions backed by science and math. This is a dynamic and interesting space to work in—when you can advertise a job where someone knows they’ll make a genuine, meaningful, positive impact, it makes that job more attractive.

“It’s a new space for the packaging sector, being “sustainability-positive” rather than trying to sweep these issues under the carpet.”

Over the past 50 years, the trends of the global market have profoundly reshaped industries including packaging. Today’s world is more connected than ever, with unprecedented access to international communication, trade, and collaboration networks. Companies operating in the packaging sector, much like those in other industries, now function within a global framework. As a result, businesses that once catered primarily to domestic markets, such as the UK or Europe, must now consider diverse, international perspectives to remain competitive. The evolution of manufacturing culture reflects this shift, as brands increasingly recognise the value of a diverse workforce that can engage with global audiences.

This interconnectedness ties directly to the importance of equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) within companies. As Macqueen suggests, a more inclusive workforce is better equipped to navigate the complexities of global markets and adapt to the needs of different regions.

“It’s easy for us to pat ourselves on the back and say, ‘Job done—we have an EDI initiative in our company,’ but that’s far from the truth. A key point about apprenticeships, for example, is not just about bringing in new starters or young people but also giving them real opportunities to lead and make changes within organisations. Otherwise, we’re just creating the appearance of inclusion and diversity.

“We’re seeing authentic progress, particularly in the manufacturing arms of our apprenticeships, where people are given opportunities in spaces where they weren’t always expected to be seen. We’re not there yet regarding inclusivity in manufacturing, but we’re further along the journey than many people realise. It will require those in positions of power to continue opening doors and keeping them open.

“In manufacturing, it sometimes surprises us when someone we wouldn’t expect asks to get involved in factory trials or testing—someone who doesn’t fit the usual mould. This can be a powerful moment. It’s about both sides: those currently holding the power need to invite others to join, and those stepping into the game must play their best hand.

“Change is happening, but it takes time. The progress has been real, and I hope we’ll see even more of that in this year’s Future Trailblazer Group. We’re hoping to see more diversity—not just for the sake of diversity, but because we want to see the best possible candidates. We’ll see a more reflective and broader range of applications than ever before, which will be an exciting development.”

Addressing the 20-year skills gap in packaging
The industry is in a phase of rapid catch-up, attempting to close a 20-year skills gap that emerged largely due to the disappearance of undergraduate programs that once provided a steady pipeline of new talent. Whether in structural design, technology, or graphics, it’s been two decades since these programs were widely available. For an industry to go that long without a dedicated stream of trained and engaged professionals is significant, creating a noticeable void in expertise.

During this period, companies had little choice but to hire whatever talent was available, often from unrelated fields. Surveys consistently show that over 60% of people working in packaging didn’t originally plan to enter the sector. Even more concerning, less than half of the workforce has an educational packaging background. In comparison, it would be unthinkable for industries like automotive or nuclear science to have such a disparity—imagine if more than half of atomic scientists lacked a degree in their field. The absence of formalised training pathways in packaging has hindered the industry’s growth and development.

“The complexity is partly because we’re not a unified sector for job roles—we’re broad and diverse,” he continued. “But I think this skills gap may have held us back during that in-between period. It was a time of immense social change, but the industry made do.

“There were a lot of job movers during that period, and you can still see it today, especially at events like Packaging Innovations. From the early 2000s through the 2010s, these events became trips to see which people were wearing a different company’s name badge each year. That was how the industry functioned - people moved from one company to another.

“Now, however, we’re in an interesting time. With initiatives like apprenticeships and sustainability efforts making packaging jobs more attractive, I genuinely think it’s an exciting period for the sector. We have people working in the industry now who wouldn’t have been here before, bringing new perspectives and challenging orthodoxy. It’s an exciting and bold step for everyone involved, and hopefully, we’ll start to see real, effective change as a result.”