MBW celebrates National Apprenticeships Week 2022

Can you tell us about your job and what it involves on a day-to-day basis?  No two days are ever the same and they range from traceability exercises to customer visits and more.

Tell us how you got to where you are today. What was your career path so far?  I started in 2017 at Moy Park as an apprentice, I worked in the central specifications team for a 6 week period. I then moved into the factory to understand different roles and areas. After 4 months I moved into the technical department supporting with the day-to-day QA tasks. In November 2018 I travelled to France to spend time in a Moy Park sister site, I spent 4 weeks learning the processes with a multi-disciplinary teams. In 2019 I became a permanent QA auditor, mainly supporting the coated factory.

What is it about your role that really excites you? The future, new technologies and advancements in processes as well as new female talent entering the poultry industry.

What challenges have you faced, if any, and how have you overcome them? The pandemic has been a huge challenge for the whole industry and although it has brought personal challenges too. It has become a learning curve, allowing experiences to be gained which wouldn’t have been gained in usual circumstances. During the first lockdown, I took the opportunity to work at a Moy Park sister site. I took this opportunity as it was a learning opportunity to learn the processes of a primary processing sites including the kill stage.

What could the meat industry do to encourage more gender diversity? Showcasing the opportunities which the meat industry has to offer for women across all ages. Young women entering the industry have career paths ahead of them where there are opportunities. Inspire those already within the industry as well as attracting new talent.

Can you tell us about your job and what it involves on a day-to-day basis?

Since May last year I have taken on a new role within the technical department as a Technical Systems Auditor.  This is an on-site auditing role and involves auditing against Moy Park standards, BRC standards and Customers COP’s. I co-operate with relevant departments to ensure compliance against audit requirements.  My role involves also carrying out gap analysis and projects.  The aim of my role is to identify gaps / non-conformities within Kitchen Range Foods prior to the Group Central Audits and external audits.

Tell us how you got to where you are today. What was your career path so far?

Throughout my career in Kitchen Range Foods, I have worked from Production Operative through Quality Inspector, Trainer and Shift leader cover, Technical Administrator and now Technical Systems auditor. Therefore, I have much experience on production and a strong understanding of food processes and food safety. When I decided to go for the Food Technologist apprenticeship my career progressed much faster. It helped me to build self-confidence.

What is it about your role that really excites you?

My new role gives me a big opportunity for further self-development and this is exiting. I feel very lucky that I have received this job before I finish my apprenticeship, as Technical Systems Auditor role helped me a lot with many apprenticeship assignments and on the other side, the knowledge from my studies helped me to resolve many work tasks. Besides, I like to be involved in work projects where my hard work is visible and appreciated.

 What challenges have you faced, if any, and how have you overcome them?

The biggest challenge of 2021 for me was that I started my new role in time when shortage of people was a problem, not only in the technical team but in the whole factory. That was a good lesson on how to prioritise things to do. But without good teamwork and my managers support it would be hard to overcome some issues. It is always better to see a challenge as an opportunity to learn something new and not as a problem.

What could the meat industry do to encourage more gender diversity?

My company believes that successful implementation of equality and diversity in all aspects of work ensures that colleagues are valued, motivated and treated fairly. To raise awareness about Equality and Diversity in the Workplace Human Resources Compliance Internal Online Course must be completed by KR staff through Technical Academy.

We are also taking part in Moy Park award programme “You make the difference.” The programme aims to highlight that everyone can make a difference for our company (regardless of gender) and the programme offers a wide view on the importance of company values: determination, simplicity, availability, humility, sincerity, ownership and discipline.

Can you tell us about your job and what it involves on a day-to-day basis?
I am a HR Co-ordinator responsible for completing administrative duties for the Human Resources department at ABP Yetminster whilst training to complete my Business Administration Apprenticeship. In my day-to-day role I assist the HR manager with recruitment, maintain employee records, assist with payroll processing, and provide administrative support to all employees. I run weekly inductions for new starters and complete their paperwork to a high standard before it is passed on to Payroll.

Tell us how you got to where you are today. What was your career path so far?
After I finished my GCSE’s, I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do so I carried on at school to complete my A Levels. When going through the University application I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do, and I wasn’t sure that Uni was for me. I was excited to get into the real world and start my career. Being an apprentice is something I always had in my mind as I would get the opportunity to get new a qualification whilst earning money. I would also be gaining experience and transferable skills. I found a business admin apprenticeship at ABP and was lucky enough to get the job. Then in November 2021 I was promoted to HR Co-Ordinator while continuing my apprenticeship. While I was in school, I had a part time job working local café and during the 3 years I was there I learnt skills from my boss that I take with me everywhere I go.

What is it about your role that really excites you?
Within my role there is a lot of rules and regulations to follow, which as someone that has ASD (autism spectrum disorder), sticking to the rules is something that I enjoy. I look forward to going to work, I’m never sure what challenges are going to face me during the day or what new lessons I’m going to learn. When I left school, I had no idea what I wanted to do, however since having this job and doing this apprenticeship I have found what I want to do. I am also described as somewhat of a people pleaser, so I like to meet and exceed others’ expectations of myself and that allows me to push myself in this role and it excites me how far I can go and what I can achieve in the future.

What challenges have you faced, if any, and how have you overcome them?
I have faced many challenges in my role, and I’ve managed to overcome quite a lot of them, some of them I’m still on the journey with. One of the challenges I have faced is having confidence in myself and that I know what I’m doing. For a long time, I saw myself as still a newbie. I didn’t think I knew anything but after some encouragement from different people it made me realise that I do have the confidence and I do know what I’m doing. They also showed me that is OK to ask for help if you are unsure but also trust your instincts.

What could the meat industry do to encourage more gender diversity?
I think the best way to encourage more gender diversity is to show people what the meat industry is like. For example, with #SheLooksLikeMe campaign enables women in the meat industry to show themselves and what they do on a day-to-day basis to help change perceptions. It’s helped open people’s eyes to see a bit more of the reality rather than what they think is happening. I believe that the meat industry needs to show itself in all aspects and the different areas that there are, it’s not just about being a farmer or being a butcher, there are so many options for all different people that nobody really knows about. Changing people’s perceptions of what it means to work in the meat industry is the way to encourage more gender diversity.

Can you tell us about your job and what it involves on a day-to-day basis?

I am a QA (Quality Assurance Operative) in the technical department at ABP Langport whilst training to complete my Level 2 Lean Manufacturing Operative Apprenticeship. On a day-to-day basis I am responsible for carrying out pre-operational checks for both the boning hall and abattoir; from inspecting the quality of the night hygiene team to steriliser checks to hourly metal detector testing – monitoring, verifying and validating various processes that have been implemented from our onsite HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point) plan.

I also undertake environmental, primal, and water sampling, and on receipt of the results, record these and act on any next steps required. I also carry out weekly and monthly audits such as GMP, glass and brittle plastics and fabrication audits, as well as occasional internal audits of our quality management system, as I am now a qualified internal auditor.

Tell us how you got to where you are today. What was your career path so far?

I started working for ABP Langport in February 2018 as a packer, which enabled me to understand the packing process at Langport as well as providing knowledge of the various primal cuts. After a year I progressed with training to become a scale operative. After being in this role for a year, I successfully applied for a vacancy in the technical department where I am now a QA. As part of my development, in 2021 I was enrolled to start my level 2 Lean Manufacturing Operative Apprenticeship. These opportunities have expanded my skill set enabling me to develop professionally, for which I was awarded the ‘Most Improved Employee’ in 2021. This has motivated me to continue to progress further.

What is it about your role that really excites you?

The diversity of my role, no two days are the same. This is also a very active role which benefits me as I enjoy working in a fast-paced environment.

What challenges have you faced, if any, and how have you overcome them?

English is not my first language. When I first started packing and operating the scale, this was not much of as issue as my interaction with people was limited. However, when I joined the technical team who were all English speakers this was more challenging. As a result of this I had to improve my understanding of the language to communicate effectively, and to help improve this further I am currently studying for my English level 2 qualifications as part of my apprenticeship with ABP.

At Langport we have had many new developments in the expansion of the site which have resulted in changes being required to procedures in place. I have played an instrumental role in adapting our procedures, implementing changes in my daily, weekly and monthly checks and monitoring temperature of this increased number of areas.

I have found working in the technical department both challenging and rewarding, especially when we introduce new industrial placement students and graduates to the site. Because of my training I feel confident in my role to pass my learnings to them and assist in their development. This again is challenging due to the language barrier and taking into consideration that they are new to the site and therefore more patience and training is necessary.

What could the meat industry do to encourage more gender diversity?

To encourage gender diversity the recruitment process should aim to encourage and nurture female talent with knowledge across all sectors of the meat industry. I feel that this could be achieved by adequate networking with schools, colleges, and universities. ABP have launched the ‘ABP She’ campaign which encourages skilful networking to meet other female members of the company. ABP should continue to progress their message and desire to attract female talent through continuous development of female led initiatives.

Can you tell us about your job and what it involves on a day-to-day basis?

I’m currently working in Moy Park’s commercial team. As a commercial executive, my day-to-day role involves supporting the Business Development Manager to encourage growth within the UK branded restaurant market and providing support in the day-to-day management of the Fast Food and casual dining accounts to deliver profitable business with excellent service levels and targeted growth. Dealing with day-to-day commercial administration, internal and external forecasting and customer interaction. I am the key point of contact and provide help with the project management for all New Product Development projects. Supporting the Business Development Manager and Sales Support Manager with timely account updates, reports and revenue management.

Tell us how you got to where you are today. What was your career path so far?

8 years ago, I started to work in Moy Park as a line operative and started to build my knowledge and skills gradually by learning new skills such as label operative, oven and metal process controller. Therefore, I fully understand how food is manufactured. After a year I started to work in product specification team where I had to constantly communicate with customers, other Moy Park sites and departments. Provide technical support for customer visits and audits, ensure that artwork is correct and legally compliant. Generate and control ‘right first time’ customer and factory specifications and travel to visit customers when required. I realised that my real interest and career aspirations lay in the food industry. To further develop this interest, I applied for and was awarded as BSc Food Science and Technology apprenticeship within Moy Park. In order to get more knowledge and experience, I was working in new product development team where I had to manage and organise product trials, assist management of the cost of launching products and communicate regularly with factory managers, multiple sites and departments. After maternity leave, I joined the technical department which gave me a lot of knowledge about food safety and quality and how to ensure it. This role fulfilled my apprenticeship particularly in practice: auditing the factory and making sure that all process control points are highly monitored, dealing with customer complaints, factory incidents and issues, performing product traceability when required and providing technical support. My current role is commercial executive which I highly enjoy and all skills and knowledge I gained in my previous roles are currently beneficial.

What is it about your role that really excites you?

The most fascinating thing in my work is that every day is different. It involves travelling and combines all my knowledge and skills that I gained in previous roles. It also involves a lot of people and allows me to build more relationships.

I enjoy working with my team as everyone is focussed on the same goal and are very supportive.

The company allows me to learn new things, providing training, career support and helps me to grow professionally.

What challenges have you faced, if any, and how have you overcome them?

Personally, I face challenges every time when I change my role. Even staying in the same company, but moving to different departments and roles brings a lot of challenges. Meeting and working with new people, learning new things and coping with new information overload can be stressful sometimes. Having an open attitude, not afraid to have little conversation and ask any information that I don’t know or don’t understand, helps me to fit in and find out more about colleagues and work etiquette. Making notes and managing time helps with absorbing new information.

Another huge challenge was a language barrier, as English is not my first language. Although, people at work place are very supportive and understanding. Also, studying helped me a lot to improve my language.

What could the meat industry do to encourage more gender diversity?

I think writing more attractive job applications i.e. including benefits available or any time off allowed if needed for family emergency, provide proper maternity leave and childcare. Women are much less likely to apply for a job if they don’t meet 100% of the criteria, compared to males who apply even if they only meet 60% (Hewlett Packard Internal Report).

Share gender diversity data with the company employees or in public.

Review all employees’ salaries and make sure that men and women in equivalent roles performing at equivalent levels are compensated equally.

Offer more women leadership roles. Promote an equal number of men and women in supervisor or manager roles.

Can you tell us about your job and what it involves on a day-to-day basis?

When I joined the Health Safety and Environment department, literally, I started from ground zero as I have not had any previous experience in Health Safety and environment. Everything was new to me, and I was worried if I would be able to meet the expectations of the job role and training needed.

Right now, on a day to day basis I complete spreadsheets, run the KPI reports, review BSO`s and SIR, conduct mini audits and safety walks within factory and I keep an eye and review various risk assessments. The job role is a mix of practical shop floor work and admin. I also attend remote lessons with tutors and shadow HSE managers and officers as much as I can.

 Tell us how you got to where you are today. What was your career path so far? 

I started at Moy Park back in 2008 as an agency worker and in 2010 I got a full-time. Since then I undertook different roles within the company, which has given me insight into the manufacturing processes.

While I was on maternity leave, I came across a Health and Safety apprentice position, and I successfully applied for it. I can certainly say that during last year, since I joined this department, I have learned a lot.

What is it about your role that really excites you?

Every day brings new challenges, but also new possibilities. It excites me that on my day to day basis I am able to improve health and safety standards within the company, and by doing so I am contributing to keep my friends and colleagues safe. Tackling each of the challenges empowers my skills and helps me build the confidence within my role.

What challenges have you faced, if any, and how have you overcome them?

I have had quite a few challenges I had to overcome. I needed to send my child to a childminder at the age of 10 months, which was breaking my heart, but I knew that this is the way it has to be if wanted to work full time. Then I have applied for Health and Safety apprentice position which was challenging too as it required getting out of my comfort zone, meeting new people, understanding what the expectations are and if I will be able to meet them.

What could the meat industry do to encourage more gender diversity?

I believe to encourage more gender diversity, in meat industry, companies should consider supporting new families, especially women who are willing to return to work after maternity leave. From my own experience, I know it might be stressful working on rotating shifts which involves finishing late at night and starting early in mornings or working on a opposite shift to your partner.

I do believe getting some people opinions who never worked in meat industry would help to clarify what could possibly encourage them to join meat industry.

Edyta recently was awarded the Outstanding achievement award at The National Apprenticeship Awards

Can you tell us about your job and what it involves on a day-to-day basis?

On a daily basis I work with people – which is the best part of my job – people are what makes this company and who I can truly make a difference for. I have the opportunity to work with people on so many different levels, with so many different experiences and broad knowledge from around the business. This gives me a great opportunity to learn from the best.

Tell us how you got to where you are today. What was your career path so far?

I worked for Moy Park since 2011, my first job being the line operator. Throughout the years I have learned various positions within operations, such as Delford Operator, Process Controller, Line Controller, Ingredients’ Intake Process Controller and Training Instructor. The step change in my career within Moy Park was when I left operations team back in 2018 and started my professional journey within the Continuous Improvement team as the Administrator within Anwick Factory. Today I’m Operational Excellence Facilitator for whole Anwick Complex, including the Hatchery and associated farms.

What is it about your role that really excites you?

The satisfaction when I can truly help others to make their lives simpler, easier and also help them overcome their daily barriers is what excites me the most; the smile on their face and appreciation.

What challenges have you faced, if any, and how have you overcome them?

Coming out of my shell and taking on challenges that push me outside of my comfort zone. Throughout the years I’ve learned about how to be self-aware, which automatically helped me to feel more confident while being a young woman in the big company, that employs people with even 30+ years of experience.

What could the meat industry do to encourage more gender diversity?

Wages transparency seems to be a big discussion subject these days across LinkedIn and other social media platforms. I think, if the meat industry could take that step and drive the wage transparency, this would convince and reassure women that they are being treated equally and that gender has no impact on employment T&Cs.