About this role
The participant will undertake a structured Work Placement Experience Programme with Treats by Sylvia, gaining practical experience and training within a growing food production business. The placement is designed to provide the participant with the opportunity to develop practical food production skills, workplace skills and an understanding of the day to day operations involved in running a small food manufacturing business. The participant will be mentored by experienced members of the Treats by Sylvia team and will receive ongoing feedback and guidance. Training will initially involve observation and demonstration, followed by supervised practical work as the participant develops confidence and competence. By the end of the placement, the participant will have developed practical food production and food safety skills, improved their confidence in a professional workplace, gained experience of working as part of a team, developed organisational and time management skills, and gained a greater understanding of the operations of an Irish food production business with the possibility of a job opportunity and lasting career within our business.. This is a training and work experience opportunity; no prior experience in this role is necessary. Accredited and/or sector recognised training will be provided to support your placement. Participants are eligible to participate in the WPEP QQI Work Experience Module which was developed by the Education & Training Boards in collaboration with the Department of Social Protection. This optional module will fulfil your accredited training requirements for the WPEP. The participant will be given 20 hours accredited training, completing online HACCP courses, and gain practical experience in: Formal Training: - Food Hygiene, HACCP principles - Allergen Awareness and Safe Food Handling Informal Training - Food preparation and production processes, following established recipes, procedures and quality standards. - Preparation of ingredients and correct use of equipment and utensils. - Portion control, presentation and maintaining consistency of products. - Quality control, including checking products, packaging and presentation before dispatch. - Packaging and labelling products correctly in accordance with food safety and business procedures. - Stock management, including checking deliveries, stock rotation, storage and identifying stock requirements. - Understanding food production planning and how daily production is organised to meet customer and retail requirements. - Cleaning and maintaining a safe and hygienic production environment. - Developing time management, organisation and teamwork skills within a busy production environment. - Understanding how products move from production through packaging and preparation for delivery to retail customers. - Developing communication and customer service skills through interaction with colleagues, delivery teams and, where appropriate, customers and retail partners. - Gaining an insight into the wider operation of a growing Irish SME, including how quality, efficiency, customer requirements and teamwork contribute to the success of the business.