Posted 10 December 2010
A top Harper Adams graduate is enjoying a ‘taste of the world’ during her first position with supermarket giant – J Sainsbury’s PLC.
Emma Ward, 23, of North Lincolnshire, graduated this year with a first class degree in BSc (Hons) Food and Consumer Studies.
The experiences Emma gained before and during her time at the Shropshire based University College, helped her to get the job of her dreams, and she is now travelling the globe and getting a first-hand insight into the food industry.
Emma joined Sainsbury’s Product Technology Graduate Scheme this September and is spending the first year on a preliminary scheme called ‘Taste the World’.
She is working with Sainsbury’s suppliers and partners around the world spending time in Kenya, South Africa and Ghana looking at flowers, tea, vegetables, exotic fruit and wine.
Emma will return to Sainsbury’s Head Office in London next September where she will join an 18-month scheme to train as a Product Technologist, ensuring that own-label products are safe, good quality, healthy, fresh and tasty.
The 18-month scheme compromises a store placement followed by further placements in product safety, packaging, depot inspection and agriculture, sustainability and health. Emma will then have experience in various categories from meat, fish and poultry to dairy or produce.
Emma, a farmer’s daughter, said she came to Harper because of its “overall offering”.
She said: “It has high quality teaching, excellent facilities, a placement year, a very high employability rating, a great social scene and a unique atmosphere.
“The material covered throughout my degree programme led to so many job opportunities in the food industry, from food manufacturing, retail, marketing, sales, journalism – the list goes on. The food industry is one which is short of graduates and my degree gave me the best job opportunities ever.
“Emma worked for Ware Anthony Rust; Chamberlain, a specialist agri-food communications agency during her placement year and she credits this time with helping her to get her position with Sainsbury’s.
She said: “”Placement year was a great learning experience and it re-focussed my final year studies and made me more determined to succeed.
“I am now thoroughly enjoying my new role with Sainsbury’s, the opportunity I have been given to travel and spend time working with overseas suppliers is fantastic. It gives me great insight into the whole supply chain; I’m learning something new every day!”
Part of the Taste the World scheme requires Emma to write a blog to share her experiences; this can be found at www.travelpod.com/members/emma_ward
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