On Tuesday 8th March, two Dovecote Park staff attended Plumstead Manor School, to talk to a group of over 50 female students about their careers in the beef industry.   Laura has worked for Dovecote Park for nearly 2 years, as a Fields Person for the Midlands and South East.

Having grown up on a farm, and studied agriculture to degree level, she worked initially in the dairy sector before moving into beef. As well as here regular job within the livestock team, which sees her on farm 3-4 days a week, Laura represents Dovecote Park on the Waitrose Farming Partnership Next Generation Group, which works on a variety of projects to create opportunities for young people within the livestock sector. This is the second time Laura has visited Plumstead Manor to speak to the students:  

‘I found it a very rewarding day,’ Laura states, ‘not only does it make me realise how much I enjoy my own job but I found it a great opportunity to encourage young people to partake in a career that provides enjoyment and happiness to them.  After all we spend a large proportion of our life working so why not do something you enjoy! It gave me great satisfaction to inspire young women into thinking about where their food comes from and in particular possibly considering a career in agriculture.’  



Robyn Simpson, who first joined Dovecote Park in November 2015 as a Commercial Graduate, and now works primarily within the affiliated side of the business said of the experience:

‘I enjoyed speaking to the different groups of girls. We participated in lively and wide ranging discussions.  Questions ranged from ‘how my choices influenced my career?’ to ‘what are my hobbies outside of work?’  Choosing a career is one of the most important decisions these girls will make and it was very refreshing to hear the wide ranging ideas they have for their future. I felt privileged to be able to pass on my enthusiasm for the meat industry and diverse opportunity that exists within it.’    



Robyn and Laura were joined by Helen Bellew, an Agricultural Placement Student who is currently spending a year on placement with Waitrose as part of her BSC in Agriculture at the University of Reading.   We would like to thank Robyn and Laura for taking time out of their busy schedules to share their experiences within the industry with these students.