Episode 3: Apprenticeships

In this month’s Podcast we spoke to Vincenza Cesano and Jessica Kellaway, two award winning level 2 butchery apprentices from ABP Beef Guildford, to find out what it means to be a modern-day food and drink apprentice and their achievements.

Commenting on her decision to join the food and drink industry as a butcher – a profession traditionally dominated by men – and any advice she would give to people looking to follow in her footsteps, Kellaway said the best thing to do was “go in head first”.​

Male dominated industry

“It’s quite male dominated and that can be quite off putting to some women, quite intimidating when you first walk in,”​ she added.

“But me and Vincenza have come in and shocked a couple of people with what we can do. “They’ve been quite used to the men only being able to do the really physical stuff and for us to come in a prove them wrong, I think some people are definitely shocked. ​

“When I applied for the butchery job it was something completely different and I was a bit apprehensive, but I though ‘you’ve got to give it your all’. If it’s not for you, it’s not for you – but if it is you could have made the best decision of your life.” ​

Educating the future

We also spoke to Dan Karlsson and Anthony Gaston at Plumpton College to learn more about the training the educator has on offer and what manufacturers should be expecting from the next generation of food and drink apprentices.

To learn more about food and drink apprenticeships and gain further insight into how you can make the most of your apprentices – or take on some of your own – listen in to this month’s edition of the Food Manufacture Podcast.

Meanwhile, in episode two of the new-look Food Manufacture podcast,​​ Bethan Grylls and Gwen Ridler discussed gender equity in the food and drink workplace - guests include industry leaders Ramona Hazan, Cheryl Allen and Eimear Robertson.