My current role is a food technical officer in Derbyshire catering service and I am currently undertaking a Food Technical Professional Degree Apprenticeship at Sheffield Hallam University.
I started working in the food industry as a weekend pot washer in a café, but after 7 years I realised I had no further room for progression in my role. I decided to do an apprenticeship to learn and explore new skills that will allow me to progress in the future.
It allows me to grow within my role and explore some of the other roles in the service, get a new qualification and meet new friends, all whilst getting paid to do so!
Every day is different in my role but typically I would be working on different aspects of menu planning for school meals, including costings, nutritional information and bespoke menus for allergies and medical conditions.
I also have 6 hours a week dedicated to my off the job learning so that I have time to complete assignments and research for my degree course and I have a teaching block, usually 3-4 days, at university every couple of months. I am proud to get back into education, get a new qualification and excited to bring my voice and my new knowledge back to the team.
I would definitely recommend apprenticeships to others. The environment is so supportive, both at work and at university, and I wish it was a route I had considered earlier. I have been able to have so many experiences, such as supplier visits and conferences, that build towards my professional qualification and my personal development.
I can learn practical skills, surrounded by people with a wide range of knowledge and experience but also get to share my journey with other apprentices who come from all sorts of different backgrounds and can share so much guidance as a result.
In the future, I hope to experience some of the different roles in the office so that I can understand more about the department as a whole. I will learn so much about different areas of the food industry throughout the course of my apprenticeship that it will open up a range of different options for progression.