ABP UK and Leeds City College join forces
ABP UK and Leeds City College join forces
A new working partnership has seen industry and education come together to invest in essential skills and training essential for the meat industry.
ABP UK and Leeds City College are officially working together to ensure the continuation of the industry’s skills, processes and traditions while helping to provide established routes into employment.
The two organisations share a commitment to providing an environment for those entering the industry to be educated and developed.
The partnership will help enhance the college curriculum, with an investment in specialist equipment, work placements opportunities for students and the provision of demonstration and talks by industry experts. There are also plans for an annual ABP Award to recognise students’ talents and achievements.
A key component of the partnership is to provide relevant progression opportunities into employment.
ABP run a fully integrated graduate scheme across all areas of the business providing a potential stepping-stone into various areas of the industry for those completing their studies at the College.
A number of former college students have successfully progressed onto the company’s scheme, and are now working in supervisory roles in production and boning.
Mandy Thompson, Graduate Development, who has been instrumental in establishing the new partnership, said: “At ABP we are committed to investing in young talent for the future. We currently employ almost 1,000 people across our three sites in Yorkshire – many of which have progressed within the company through our multidiscipline graduate scheme which offers career development paths across sales and marketing, livestock, technical and engineering disciplines.
“We are delighted to partner with Leeds City College in helping to develop the next generation of skilled butchers for Yorkshire and beyond, and we are confident that this partnership will help promote butchery as an attractive career path for school leavers and those thinking about entering the meat processing industry.”
