Process Apprentice Review

My role as a Process Apprentice involves learning the process in Manufacturing, from the raw ingredients coming onto site to the end product leaving the site. Last year, day to day I spent time on each plant in the factory helping with the quality checks, watching problems being solved and learning the product routes. I am involved in the Communications Team on site and Education and Training. This year i am focussing more on training as that is my seconded role. I create sing off sheets, design training material and coach on education and training methodologies.

Firstly, I have learnt how to behave in a working environment. Coming straight from school there was a noticeable change in behaviours and manners. I have also developed my presenting skills. At school we were often challenged with doing class presentations, none of which were taken very seriously. However during my apprenticeship I am often tasked with doing presentations which are expected to be done in a professional manner. Another skill developed is my communications skills. I have learnt how to communicate professionally, rather than in an informal manner. I now have a qualification in Dairy Technology and i have a level 2,3,4 in food hygiene. I also have internal qualifications for training, coaching and problem solving.

There are certain things I love about my apprenticeship and certain things I enjoy less. What I love is, everyday is different. I am often tasked with different things on a day to day basis, each task broadening my skills and meeting new people. This means it is very rarely boring! Before starting the apprenticeship I had very little real life job experience and now I feel confident being given demanding tasks which makes my job enjoyable.

At Nestle I feel very valued. I am often tasked with quite important things. As an apprentice I wouldn't expect to get tasked with anything too important as there are more knowledgeable people on site, therefore this makes me feel quite important and valued. I also get to meet well respected people within the business and take them on tours around the plant. As an apprentice, I wouldn't expect to be invited to meet important internal people but it comes across that our site is proud to make visitors aware of the apprentices.

The first year of the apprenticeship is all planned out in weeks. If we move faster or slower than the plan, it is quite easily adjusted. The 2nd and 3rd year is tailored towards each individual apprentice and their future career aspirations. I will finish the first year of my apprenticeship in September and we are already forward planning what I will be involved in. Some people might prefer this and others might not like it.

The college that provided us with the Professional Certificate in Food Dairy Specialism didn't give us much support as we were part time students, and only attendeded college for exams as its a 3 hour drive away. We had to learn from PowerPoint's uploaded online which weren't always the easiest to learn from. However if we needed any assistance or help they said they would respond to emails within 3 working days.

I receive a lot of support on site from many people. People are happy to help the apprentices which you sometimes wouldn't expect in a workplace. The training/HR department on site are also very good. The first couple of weeks on site were very daunting but the but we had a lot of support from the training manager on site. This made it a lot easier for us.

The salary we get given is very generous I think. When searching for apprenticeships this was the best paid job by far. My highest cost is traveling but my salary covers this easily with a lot of money to spare. Each year my salary increases which I think is really great as it means I'm able to save more money to put towards my future and living costs.

There are quite a few opportunities outside of work. The site is quite heavily involved in charity and the local community. There are often invites to local events such as firework nights, Christmas fairs, summer festivals etc. Nestle also invite people from the site to local football games to view the match in the Nestle box which is very generous.

Yes

They're a really great company to work for with lots of benefits. For a young person leaving school to join big company like Nestle it is very exciting. There are endless opportunities with the company and I feel like they would be more than happy to help with peoples career goals. The salary is great, especially for someone leaving school and they'll provide you with skills you'll need in the future, no matter what job role you go into.

Don't focus too much on your academic skills when applying for a role but more your personal skills and experiences. In your application and interview be as honest as possible and don't lie in any part throughout the application process. Be prepared to be involved in a variety of things and take every opportunity you can.