General News
22 January, 2024
New staff start at True Foods
True Foods has expanded its workforce at their production facility in Maryborough, welcoming four new apprentices as part of their attraction and retention strategy. The flat bread manufacturer has operated out of the 27 acre production facility...
True Foods has expanded its workforce at their production facility in Maryborough, welcoming four new apprentices as part of their attraction and retention strategy.
The flat bread manufacturer has operated out of the 27 acre production facility since 2011, to help its rapid growth into the market.
With continued expansion on the company’s mind, accompanied with the challenges of attracting key skill workers to the facility, two local apprentice maintenance electricians and two local mechanical fitters have been brought on board.
Managing director Mark Thurlow said the program helps upskill local workers to expand their personnel and assist the employment brand of the organisation more broadly.
“We are really excited to welcome these new apprentices into a great workplace where they can learn different aspects of their field,” he said.
“It gives them a great opportunity to experience the workforce with continued support from us to help them transition from school to work by providing an oppurtunity to gain a valuable qualification.
“I am very proud of when we have people come in who didn’t exactly know what they wanted to do, and we are able to help them find it and use it as a launchpad for their success.”
True Foods people and culture manager Bec Schroeder is excited for the potential the apprenticeship program holds for the company.
“Being able to bring in local employees who are learning their trade not only helps us from a skills and employment brand perspective, but it also provides people in the community more opportunities for skilled work which we all know is needed,” she said.
“We are seeking to expand this into other departments of True Foods, we are currently speaking with universities about bringing in an engineering graduate in partnership with Latrobe University in Bendigo, but this can be implemented into safety, HR and other areas.”
Two of the new apprentices, Riley Wardley and Alex Lendon, currently attend Maryborough Education Centre, and have obtained the practical experience opportunity through the school’s VCE Vocational Major program.
While only being at his new job for a week, Mr Wardley said he is already starting to settle in.
“I have enjoyed it so far, it gives me a head start on my four year apprenticeship while I am still at school and I get to spend half my time here and half my time at school,” he said.
“It is close to home so I can still stay home with my family and nothave to move right away.”