Michal Iwanicki's passion for food led him to join Nestlé as a Food Manufacturing apprentice in Wisbech in September 2018. After completing his three-year course six months ahead of schedule, Michal is now working as a Line Leader.

I've always been interested in food and drink, but I thought my most likely route into the industry would be as a chef. It was only when I spotted the Food Manufacturing apprenticeship at Nestlé that I realised the scale of opportunities that are available.

I live ten minutes down the road from the factory and I'd only heard good things about working at Nestlé from friends and neighbours, so it seemed like a no-brainer.

If you're prepared to push yourself and be open to new opportunities then there is no limit to where you can go.

Learning the trade

My apprenticeship gave me insight into all areas of the business, with a mix of being on the factory floor to office-based work. I got stuck into anything and everything – giving me the opportunity to learn about how the business works, which has been so important in helping me progress.

My role involves constantly looking for ways to improve how the business operates, ensuring everything runs as efficiently as possible. It involves a lot of problem solving, which is hugely rewarding because, over time, I get to see the positive impact my work has.

Building confidence

My apprenticeship was as much about my personal development as it was my professional development. I was very shy when I came into the factory, but the team were so warm and welcoming and have really helped me grow in confidence.

This has helped me to push myself further and achieve things that I might previously have shied away from. During my time as an apprentice, I led a working group on a new pilot line, working with teams from across the factory. I would regularly present updates on our progress to showcase the impact of our work and I now really enjoy being able to talk to big groups of people and tell them about the impact our work is having.

Indeed, now I'm a Line Leader, my responsibilities include training and coaching others, and this is probably my favourite part of the job.

Why an apprenticeship is the right path

I was lucky that my local librarian took the time to talk to me about apprenticeships, but I think it's something that needs to be spoken about more.

For people that don't want to continue in formal education it gives a perfect balance of hands-on work and learning.

My advice would be that you get out what you put in – if you're prepared to push yourself and be open to new opportunities then there is no limit to where you can go.