Gordon & MacPhail encourages people to consider manufacturing apprenticeships
Gordon & MacPhail is encouraging people to consider a career in manufacturing as they celebrate the success of their first Modern Apprenticeship scheme in Operations.
Pictured are some of G&M’s Modern Apprentices Left to right Stewart Toner, Jackie Shiels, Eldon Geddes
Six apprentices signed up back in January 2022 to complete the training development programme while working in a variety of posts in the bottling and warehousing parts of the business.
And the first group have now successfully completed their apprenticeships and achieved qualifications recognised throughout the industry.
Now the company is encouraging others to consider a modern apprenticeship in manufacturing.
Becky Pearce, Head of Human Resources at Gordon & MacPhail, commented: “Working in the whisky sector is fascinating and it offers a whole range of opportunities. And a Modern Apprenticeship isn’t just for those starting out in their career. Some of our recent Modern Apprenticeship Graduates had been working with us for ten years and this was an opportunity to learn new skills and progress within the company.
“Like many other businesses we are facing a shortage of staff and there are fewer people entering the industry, yet the food and drink sector is an exciting one that includes many different roles from visitor experiences to marketing and finance. There are great opportunities here and a real chance to progress in your career.”
In order to deliver the Operations Modern Apprenticeships, the company had to create a bespoke training framework which ensures the combination of on the job training and specially tailored programmes would lead to an industry recognised qualification.
Modern Apprenticeships offer opportunities for people of all ages and skills to develop their career.
Martin Forsyth originally joined the business in 2016 as a Bottling Line Operator, moving to working in our Warehouse Team where he focussed his MA on distribution skills. He’s now delighted to have secured a new secondment, saying “The Modern Apprenticeship has helped me improve my skills and made it possible for me to progress within the team. The others in the team have been great and really helped me complete the MA.”
For others, the move into the whisky sector is much more recent and offered a chance to start a whole new career. Eldon Geddes joined after a career in the RAF and offshore and he explained his reason for completing the MA: “It’s helped me gain the knowledge I need to progress within the whisky industry and I now have my sights set on completing the next level qualification.”
For Jackie Shiels, her graduation as a modern apprentice has coincided with her 10-year anniversary with Gordon & MacPhail. She’s worked in a variety of roles within the company and has most recently been working on the bottling line as a process technician, or a “fixer” as she likes to describe it: “Gordon & MacPhail is a great company to work for and I’ve had the chance to take on all sorts of different roles so was happy to have the chance to gain even more knowledge and skills.”
Becky Pearce added: “Martin’s achievements showcase the opportunities available to people within the manufacturing industry and Jackie shows there is always the chance to try new things and develop your career within the industry.
“One of our main objectives is to create jobs which offer career progression at a manageable pace. Our modern apprenticeship scheme is designed to help create a high calibre workforce and continue to build Gordon & MacPhail’s reputation as a desirable place to work.”
Gordon & MacPhail has more than 70 different roles in different functions from Retail, Visitor Experiences, Marketing, Finance, IT to procurement, Warehousing and Distillation.
Working with Polaris Training, colleagues followed three different pathways: Spirit Operations Level 3, Level 2 Food & Drink Operation: Production & Processing Skills & Level 2 Food & Drink Operation: Distribution Skills.
Pictured Martin Forsyth of G&M’s Modern Apprentices
Notes
Gordon & MacPhail is a family-owned premium spirits company based in Elgin, Scotland. Owner of Scotch whisky distilleries, Benromach and The Cairn, Gordon & MacPhail is also a Scotch whisky maturation expert, the owner of Scottish Gin brand, Red Door and the operator of a wholesale business in the United Kingdom selling premium Scotch whiskies and spirits, along with a high-quality retail outlet.
The company owns Benromach Distillery located in Forres in Moray. Benromach Single Malt Scotch Whisky is handcrafted using traditional methods by a small team of distillers using the finest Scottish barley and the purest spring water from the nearby Romach Hills. The multi award-winning portfolio of single malts is enjoyed by whisky drinkers worldwide.
The company launched Red Door in the summer of 2018. Created at Benromach Distillery, this award winning, small batch Scottish gin now forms a strategic part of the company’s product portfolio.
The Cairn, the company’s second distillery, overlooks the River Spey towards the Cairngorms. It is the first new distillery built in the Cairngorm National Park for more than a hundred years. It adds further distillation capacity and brand ownership to the company’s asset base and is a key part of the plans to continue building a long-term sustainable business. The high-quality visitor experience offering tours and tastings will attract visitors from around the world.
Since the founding of the business in 1895, Gordon & MacPhail has sent casks to Scotch whisky distilleries throughout Scotland to be filled with new-make spirit, before being left to mature for many years either at the distillery or in their bonded warehouses in Elgin. The Gordon & MacPhail portfolio offers some of the world’s rarest and most sought-after Single Malt Scotch Whiskies to discerning whisky drinkers globally.
The company’s wholesale business serves customers throughout the United Kingdom selling Benromach Single Malt, Red Door gin and Gordon & MacPhail whiskies into the on and off trade. The business also exclusively represents a number of ‘distributor’ brands and stocks premium whiskies and spirits.
The premises at South Street in Elgin remain the ‘spiritual home’ of the business, 127 years after it was first established in 1895. These premises have temporarily closed to enable a multimillion pound transformation which will see it become a whisky experience including displays, tasting rooms and a liquid library with some of the company’s rarest single malts.
Gordon & MacPhail plan to open a temporary retail shop in Spring on Elgin High Street. This shop will stock an extensive selection of wines, craft beers, spirits and Single Malt Scotch Whiskies.
