Charlie Gresswell

Charlie Gresswell  is a junior food technical professional. She graduated her Level 6 Degree Apprenticeship in Nov 2023 and completed a three-year degree apprenticeship course with Samworth Brothers and Sheffield Hallam University. The course is tailored to encompass work and study to give the students the skills and knowledge they needed to excel in the food industry We spoke to Charlie during her second year when she shared her enjoyment of the blend of hands-on experience and academic work. We caught up with her in January 2023, and she brought us up to date in February 2024.

What subjects did you study at school and to what level?

I have A-Levels in Biology (A), Maths (B), Geography (A) and EPQ (A). Thanks to my apprenticeship, I now have a first class honours Bachelor of Science degree having followed the programme of Professional Practice in Food Technology. On top of this, I also have a High-Merit Apprenticeship due to my work-based studies!

What appealed to you about the apprenticeship route into the industry?

At the first talk of apprenticeships in my school they piqued my interest. Conventional university didn’t appeal to me and neither did the financial burden that came with it. I prefer to learn by doing, so an apprenticeship was ideal for me.

I had years of work experience through volunteering, and am a keen worker, so something hands-on was my preference. Some of the benefits that come with the apprenticeship such as independence, a salary and a paid for degree were really attractive.

When I saw the apprenticeship within food on the government apprenticeship website, I knew it was the right one for me. I have always had an interest in food, cooking, baking etc, and my favourite subject at school was biology so it was the perfect match to my interests and skillset.

How did you find out about it?

A former apprentice visited my secondary school and gave a talk on what apprenticeships are about, their benefits and how to find them. I instantly became interested and began trawling all the websites promoting apprentice opportunities at degree level. Had that ambassadors not visited my school I perhaps never would have known about these fantastic apprenticeship opportunities

When did you join your company? 

I joined Samworth Brothers in September 2019. I was attracted by the apprenticeship opportunity in a department (technical) I was interested in. My scheme had 3 placements at 3 different sites within the Samworth Brothers group. My first was at Oak Meadow in Leicester with the Group Technical team. My second was at Melton foods in Melton Mowbray working with the Compliance Manager and my final placement was at Walkers Deli & Sausage Co in Leicester where I worked with the QA Team and on projects beneath the site Quality Manager. After the apprenticeship I spent some time working in process development at Melton Foods, then in July 2023 decided to move businesses and start working in 3rd party technical support with SGS in the Health and Nutrition team.

How did you find the split between working and study?

I found the split between work (80%) and study (20%) good. I was given the independence to manage my time, so I did not get behind on assignments and study. The managers did their best to ensure we got our 20% off-the-job time required for the funding, had lots of great opportunities such as training, and allowed us the time we need to complete our academic work.

When do you first become interested in Food Science?

I have always been interested in science. Biology was my favourite subject at school and one of my A-Level subjects. My secondary school specialised in science and we therefore did triple science at GCSEs. I really enjoyed the subjects and got As in Biology, chemistry and Physics at GCSE.

Unfortunately, in my school, food science wasn’t something that was readily taught so I never got a real taste of what it was. When I started the apprenticeship in 2019 I got my first look at the subject and was immediately interested. The university course content is very broad and interesting, and some of the great projects/ work I have done have piqued my interest further and given me many skills to take forward in my career.

What did your role involve?  Was it fun, interesting?

My role as a techincal degree apprentice was very varied. Each placement was very different. For example when at Melton Foods (2nd year) it involved projects plus work members of the technical team, such as packaging specifications and risk assesments, GAP analyses, HACCP work and more. I found my role interesting, and while some tasks were more interesting than others, everything I took part in helped me grow academically and professionally. My role now with SGS involved supporting our retailer customers with their technical needs, for example customer complaints, cooking validation reviews, GFSI reviews and more.

What are your long-term career plans?

As far as long-term career plans, I have never really known! I like working within technical – the jobs are interesting, it’s an important department and the people are great, but I’d love to explore other parts of the food industry and technical team too to see where I best fit. I am enjoying my time working for retailers with SGS, and hope to grow into more senior positions within the business as I learn more skills and get more experience under my belt.

What advice would you give to someone thinking about Food Science as a career? And perhaps taking up an apprenticeship?

It’s such an interesting side of an industry that not many people know about. The roles are very varied, and food science is such a key part of putting safe food on people’s plates. There is so much to learn, and so much potential progression! I haven’t once regretted taking an apprenticeship route, it’s provided me with so many fantastic opportunities and definitely pushed me to being the best food technical professional I can be.

I would recommend an apprenticeship to anyone.

I have benefitted from my degree apprenticeship in so many ways. The benefits include gaining years of work experience, working towards a degree, growing personally, building a professional network and undertaking additional training. On top of these great benefits you are paid for your time and contributions, allowing you to become financially independent.

I am now the co-chair of the East Midlands Apprenticeship Ambassador Network (EMAAN) which is a network of apprentices and employers in the East Midlands who come together to promote, celebrate, and share ideas on apprenticeships at all levels! I am an ambassador for apprenticeships and want to inspire more young people and adults to explore this alternative career route!

Anything else to add?

My three top tips for someone considering an apprenticeship within the food industry:

Don’t be pigeonholed into going to university if it’s not for you. The conventional route is not for everyone, don’t be afraid to be different.

Work experience is key. So many jobs call for work experience, what better way to gain it than working! The food industry, and specifically the technical department, is a great area to get fantastic experience and to work with incredibly skilled professionals.

Apprenticeships tick all the boxes – you get work experience, learn every day, earn a living, grow personally and professionally and have the opportunity to make a real difference.

To hear more about degree apprenticeships click through to our interview with Dr Caroline Millman of Sheffield Hallam University.