The Story

Since the launch of the Academy for Food and Drink Manufacturing at Poultec, the company has been a hive of activity, with nearly 4,000 people passing through its doors and being catered for from its state of the art training facilities.

The Academy and Poultec

The launch at the Norfolk company’s base near Dereham, saw the beginnings of a partnership between Poultec and the food and drinks manufacturing industry. A farmer’s market was set up on the site, and celebrity chef Galton Blackiston was installed in the prep kitchen to cater for the heads of industry and local villagers who had gathered for the occasion.

Student and business opportunity

Poultec’s Managing Director, Edward Bales, sees the selection of Poultec as one of the first Academy Training Centres as an opportunity for the company and students alike to benefit from training programmes and learning units developed specifically to meet the needs of employers. "We have worked with a wide range of organisations, from large national companies to small enterprises, many of whom have not had the opportunity to train this way before."

There is a considerable pool of expertise to draw on: the butchery is run by a Master Butcher of some 40 years’ experience, and is used to train school children, apprentices, butchers and farmers who are diversifying.

Apprentice training

Currently, 30 apprentices are working through their training at Poultec; the company is also working with many of the area’s local schools, delivering hands-on training, and introducing 14 to 16 year olds to the food and drink industry on site. The Academy also runs a Hospitality and Catering department - working with employers across the county - where five apprentices are working towards nationally recognised qualifications. The Academy also opens its doors to the general public, offering short workshop sessions, and to the wider business community with training courses in business administration and management, Customer Services and Retail.

New build

The construction this summer of a third building at Poultec’s site in Mattishall (South Green Park) will include office space suited to the needs of smaller and new businesses. The ‘incubator units’ will be housed alongside established businesses in the Enterprise Centre, home to Poultec Training Ltd, BDM (Architects) Ltd, and Café Verde, among others.

For more information on Poultec’s courses, or how to hire out the suites available, contact the Centre Manager, Mark Raines, on 01362 857100, or e-mail mark.raines@southgreenpark.co.uk

Links

www.poultec.co.uk

www.foodanddrink.nsacademy.co.uk

www.lsc.gov.uk