Tulip boosts apprenticeship programme

The company is recruiting until April and said it was keen to hear from the “next generation”​ of young people looking for real career and development opportunities. It offered 44 apprenticeships in 2015 but has increased this to 48 for 2016.

Tulip launched a new apprenticeship programme in 2015 extending it to the butchery, engineering and technical roles. The company worked with the Department for Business, Innovation & Skills together with the Department of Education on the scheme. It had run its previous programme for four years.

Food industry has acted as trailblazer​

The food industry has acted as a trailblazer for the government apprenticeship scheme, which is designed to put employers at the forefront of managing funding, standards and quality.

Earlier this month, a new food and drink engineering apprenticeship was launch as part of the government’s ‘Trailblazer’ programme, with Tulip being one of the contributors.

Tulip’s group human resources director Kirsty Wilkins said: “We have a number of fantastic apprenticeship opportunities in butchery, engineering and technical disciplines available at locations across our UK operation, all candidates will be assessed throughout their apprenticeship to ensure that they learn the knowledge and relevant skills in their chosen function.”  ​

Wilkins said that all candidates completing the training would gain relevant formal qualifications.

“Tulip will provide them with support at every stage of their apprenticeship to assist them in building a career in the food industry,”​ she said. 

Permanent, full-time positions​

The company said it would offer “excellent”​ rates of pay during and after training. It also said that a range of permanent, full-time positions would be available on successful completion of the apprenticeship.

Tulip is owned by Danish Crown, which is the largest pork producer in Europe, and the biggest exporter in the world. 

Tulip entered the UK in 2003 and now has 16 fresh and cooked meat sites with around 7,500 employees. Since arriving in the UK, it has acquired Hygrade Foods, Flagship Food Group and George Adams and Sons.

Last month it revealed that it planned to move its cooked meat operations from Bodmin, Cornwall to other sites in the UK, putting 430 jobs at risk of redundancy.

In January 2015, Tulip announced plans to axe 78 roles at Tipton factory in the West Midlands.

Anyone interested in taking on an apprenticeship should visit the National Apprenticeship Service’s website​ or contact their local Jobcentre Plus.