When asked what motivated her to choose a career in the poultry industry, Alison recalls being passionate about animals from a young age. As a child she bred canaries and hand raised a rejected cockatiel. She even remembers wishing for pet ducks and chickens, however due to her living arrangements, it wasn’t feasible. Therefore, she was thrilled when she came across an ad in her local paper recruiting for a position in the poultry industry – the first step in getting her career in the sector started.
With experience in the poultry industry, great knowledge of poultry husbandry and pedigree birds, Alison knew that doing an Apprenticeship with Cobb would give her the opportunity to widen her exposure to the industry and further her career. She described her Apprenticeship journey as interesting, fulfilling and eye opening with the training being relevant to her work which overall inspired her confidence.
Alison described the best thing about her Apprenticeship was the way in which her assessments challenged her to search for information and answers she didn’t already know. Her tutors were always a great support to her, as well as her colleagues and Cobb, who were always at the other end of the phone in case she ever required information or help with her coursework.
Alison did come up against some challenges during her Apprenticeship journey. Unfortunately, due to the pandemic and Covid-19 restrictions, Alison was not able to have farm assessments with her tutors or attend in person courses. However, that did not stop her from giving 110% to her studies, and now has the confidence to lead her team with the knowledge and skills she gained from her Apprenticeship.
Alison’s tutor from Poultec Training Limited, Nathan Raines explained how she relished the opportunity to develop her knowledge and skills. “Alison showed an excellent attitude towards the training programme and was also keen to learn about as many aspects to the industry as possible. It has been a pleasure to be Alison’s tutor throughout her programme and watch her confidence increase and see her flourish in her new role as Farm Manager.”
When asked about her future career aspirations, Alison tells us she plans on establishing her position at Wickman House by putting into practice everything she has gained from her Apprenticeship journey. In addition, she plans to continue to help develop the farm as well as share everything she has learnt with her team to enable them to do a good job with great understanding of the poultry industry.
