Name: Ismat Khan
Age: 20
Job title: Food and drink maintenance engineer apprentice
Company & location: Samworth Brothers in Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire
Education: BMET College, James Watt College, currently studying for a level 3 food and drink maintenance engineer apprenticeship.
As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? I’ve always wanted to be in the engineering industry, to be able to utilise mechanical and electrical skills. As I grew up, I became interested in the idea of engineering through talks in school and seeing engineers at work through my work experience during secondary school.
Why did you decide to go for a career in food & drink? I’ve always been interested in the processes behind the food and drink industry and the vast amount of machinery they use.
“The engineers also allow me to do a lot of hands-on mechanical jobs with their support and coach me on how to do things”
Explain your job to us in a sentence (or two): The training I am taking part in will allow me to become a multi-skilled engineer within Samworth Brothers.
I am currently based at Melton Foods, one of Samworth Brothers’ food to go sites, which makes sandwiches, wraps, salads and more. Currently, I am shadowing qualified engineers to understand the machinery on every line and learn how to repair and maintain machinery across the site.
What does a typical day look like for you? I arrive on site and typically head straight into high care and stick with an engineer to do various jobs. I do a lot of shadowing of engineers to get an understanding of the machinery and their day-to-day jobs. The engineers also allow me to do a lot of hands-on mechanical jobs with their support and coach me on how to do things.
Tell us how you went about applying for your job: I applied for the role on the Samworth Brothers website after I saw the opportunity. I was invited to an interview where I was asked to complete two tests (maths and English).
I was selected together with another 10 applicants to attend a second stage interview and we were tasked with producing a PowerPoint presentation on why we would like to become an apprentice at Samworth Brothers. I found this to be the most difficult part as I had to memorise quite a bit. I was then interviewed.
After the recruitment day, I found out I had been successful and was offered the position of the Level 3 FDEM (Food and Drink Maintenance Engineer) apprenticeship at Samworth Brothers.
What’s the best part about working for a food & drink company? Definitely the amount of skills you gather through every shift and the knowledge you gain in the workplace. We are given lots of different exposure to different machinery and the chance to work with a variety of people.
I enjoy working on the mechanical side of the business and gaining new skills and knowledge. It allows me to put the hands-on skills I learn at college into practice in the workplace.
And what’s the biggest misconception people have about working in food & drink? People seem to think that the food industry is unhealthy and unhygienic, whereas it is the complete opposite – we take great precautions to ensure that the food we produce is made to the highest standards of food safety and hygiene.
What advice would you give to other young people looking to get into the food & drink industry? Definitely take any opportunity that comes your way – it will give you skills and knowledge that will carry you through your career.
You absolutely have to have a deep interest and a drive to learn about what the role has to offer. If you are able to communicate effectively, work within a team and problem solve and have patience and passion for the role, then I would say have a go, for sure.
An apprenticeship is – in my opinion – one of the best decisions anyone can take. It gives you not only knowledge but also invaluable experience.
What’s your ultimate career dream? To become a fully qualified multi-skilled engineer. Hopefully progressing to become an engineering manager in the future to develop my skills even further.
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