Employees at Macphie are proving there is No Wrong Path today (Tuesday), as they join the campaign on Scottish exam results day.
The social media movement #NoWrongPath aims to provide inspiration and reassurance to young people receiving their results.
Exam results can be disheartening and the campaign wants to show young people that many people in interesting job roles across Scotland may not have taken a straight, obvious or traditional path to get there.
#NoWrongPath aims to show young people the options that are available to them and that exams results are not necessarily the key to unlocking future success.
Clearcut
Macphie Quality Systems Co-ordinator Ciara Kinnear admitted that she had originally wanted to be a teacher.
“I soon realised I didn’t want to spend the rest of my life at school!” she said.
“I didn’t really know what I wanted to do but I’ve ended up in a job I really enjoy.”
Showing that there may be no clearcut career path, Site Manager Shamus MacLean revealed that he joined the Navy on leaving school, never thinking that he would end up running a food factory.
Skills and deployment manager Paul Bruce said he left school to be an HGV driver.
“I was going to follow in my father’s footsteps,” he said, “but life has taken a few twists and turns in between.
“Now I look after the development needs of the entire operations workforce at the Glenbervie site and I love it.”
Initiative
The campaign aims to show young people that there are several non-traditional paths available to them after leaving school.
It also highlights the wide range of career opportunities available within the food, drink, fishing and agriculture sector.
#NoWrongPath is run in conjunction with Developing the Young Workforce, and Macphie has a successful ongoing relationship with the government-funded initiative.
The business has partnerships with three local secondary schools – Mearns Academy and Mackie Academy in Aberdeenshire and Uddingston Grammar in South Lanarkshire.
These partnerships form part of Macphie’s overall commitment to the local community but also play a vital role in preparing the future workforce and inspiring careers in the food industry.
In October last year, Macphie received a special recognition award from the national industry body, the Food & Drink Federation, for the important part they play in promoting a career in the field.
Their partnership with Mearns Academy was also shortlisted for the Inspiring Futures category at the Northern Star Business Awards – an award aimed at recognising school and business partnerships which are providing practical support to inspire young people and make sure they’re ready for the workplace.
You can find out more about Macphie’s activities with the future workforce in its CSR report.