Six new Faccenda scholars at Harper Adams

Posted 18 February 2016

Six Harper Adams University students have been selected as the new Faccenda scholars, under the British Poultry Council Scholarships scheme. 

All will received payments of £4,500 in the current academic year and will take paid placement year jobs with the company starting in summer 2016. 

Second year agriculture degree student Emily Hickman from Prestatyn, North Wales, said: “I knew I wanted to undertake my placement in the poultry sector and Faccenda is a really well-known business. I knew that if I was successful in achieving the award I would be able to benefit from both the wealth of knowledge and experience I would gain in placement and the financial support.

“I am really happy to have been chosen. It’s such an honour to receive the award, especially as I was competing against a pool of solid applicants.”

Harriet Gregory, from Crudwell, Wiltshire, a second year food and consumer studies student, will complete her placement in a technical role at Faccenda. She said: “My role will include food safety, including looking at new ideas to reduce levels of campylobacter in poultry.

“Harper Adams has really good links with industry and they offer a number of beneficial scholarships. I thought that applying for a scholarship would help support me through my studies and future development. Getting a placement out of the scholarship is definitely an advantage, which was one of the main reasons I applied. 

“I feel really excited to start my placement and also relaxed that I had my placement for next year sorted before Christmas, allowing me to focus more on assignments.

Georgina Manns, also a second year food and consumer studies student, from Swineshead, Lincolnshire, will undertake work involving new product development, adding value to products and working closely with customers. 

She said: “After talking to Faccenda at the scholarship fair, I was so impressed with the company. I had never thought about a career in the poultry industry. However poultry is such a popular protein source that there will never be a dull moment. 

 “This is a great opportunity and I am so thankful to have been given the chance to work for such a great company. The added bonus of the scholarship means that I can now focus more on my studies at university and not have to worry about money. 

Sarah Heseltine, from Bolton Abbey, North Yorkshire, a second year Food, Nutrition and Well-being student will undertake her placement year in the technical department at Faccenda. 

Sarah said: “Faccenda’s technical scholarship offered a job role that really interested me.  Being a reputable business in the poultry industry, I thought that Faccenda would be the best company do my placement year with.

“I feel they will offer me best opportunities to gain experience in the technical side of the food industry. Knowing past students who have also achieved the scholarship and the vast amounts of opportunities and positive feedback they gave, also swayed me towards Faccenda. I feel that I have been given a great opportunity to work in a diverse company. 

Hayley Neale, from Much Wenlock, Shropshire, is working toward a degree in agriculture with animal science. She said: “The placement which will allow me to gain experience within all parts of an integrated poultry company. I am looking forward to working on the company’s broiler farms as I already have experience on laying hen units. 

“I am also very much looking forward to working in the company’s hatcheries, feed mills and processing factories in Telford, Derby or Brackley. I believe that I will be able to apply the knowledge I have gained during my time at Harper Adams to the job at Faccenda Foods and make the most of the placement opportunity.” 

Agriculture with Animal Science student James Laaveld from Winkleigh, Devon, said: “The placement offers a unique opportunity to gain experience in the poultry industry, and increases chances of employment in the sector after graduation. This experience and insight would be otherwise very difficult to attain, hence the appeal of the award”.

James said he was extremely grateful to Faccenda for awarding him the scholarship, as well as to be given a year’s placement. James looks forward to his year with Faccenda and hopes to secure a permanent job with Faccenda for when he graduates in 2018.