MID FIFE AND GLENROTHES MSP TOURS DIAGEO’S LEVEN SITE TO MARK SCOTTISH APPRENTICESHIP WEEK

Published date : 07 Mar 2017

Mid Fife and Glenrothes MSP, Jenny Gilruth toasted the future of Scotch Whisky as she met apprentices and toured Diageo’s Global Supply Centre in Leven to mark the start of Scottish Apprenticeship Week (6-10 March).

Ms Gilruth met a range of Diageo apprentices including Letitia Miller, who was the first electrical engineering apprentice at the packaging site which is Diageo’s biggest packaging plant in the world. During the tour, Ms Gilruth welcomed Diageo’s commitment to creating apprenticeship opportunities and investment in its Fife operations.

She said: “It was a privilege to be invited along to Diageo to meet such a dedicated group of young apprentices including Letitia Miller, the first female electrical engineering apprentice at the packaging site. She is a shining inspiration to other young women keen to follow their dreams to secure employment in previously male-dominated roles.

“All of the Diageo apprentices I met today should be very proud of their achievements so far and I wish them all the best for their future careers.”

Mark Combe, Electical Team Leader at the Diageo Global Supply Centre in Leven, and supervisor to the apprentices, added: “Having the right people and the right skills is really important for the future of our business, which is why we’re delighted to have such a brilliant crop of apprentices here at Leven and across Scotland.”

Diageo has over 70 apprentices in its business in Scotland, ranging from engineers in distilleries and packaging plants, to apprentice coopers and coppersmiths learning the age-old craft trades of the industry.

There are eight apprentices currently working at Diageo’s Global Supply Centre in Leven, two of which are female. Letitia Miller (26), the first electrical engineering apprentice at the Leven site who is now in her fourth and final year of the training programme, said: “Being the first female engineering apprentice was in the beginning a little daunting but I can honestly say that I have been welcomed with open arms and treated no differently than the rest of the team. “I was encouraged to apply for the scheme and told there was no reason women can’t do this job, and it’s true. It’s been a whirl-wind experience; I’ve learnt so much and can’t wait to finish the training programme next year.”

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