Mondelez apprentice wins food industry accolade at FDF Awards
23 September 2016
Mondelez apprentice wins food industry accolade at FDF Awards
Birmingham-based Mondelez International employee Omar Woodburn was named ‘Apprentice of the Year’ at last night’s prestigious Food and Drink Federation (FDF) Awards. The ceremony, held at London’s The Brewery, celebrated exceptional businesses and industry professionals from across the food and drink supply chain.
Omar is a Multi-Skilled Engineering Apprentice at Mondelez International’s base in Bournville. He is also recognised as a leading apprentice by his peers, having been elected as a lead mentor for new apprentices. Engineering technicians frequently speak highly of Omar and his enthusiasm for every task that is required of him.
Omar originally joined the team as a temporary Machine Operator. His natural talent led to him being invited to apply as an apprentice and he has since continued to develop in the role. Omar gained the highest grade of all students within his training institution on the B-Tech in Electrical Engineering course. He is currently studying for a Foundation degree in Electronic and Control Engineering – a funded programme made available only to those who consistently demonstrate great potential while on the apprenticeship. Alongside this, Omar has also completed an NVQ Level 3 in Engineering Systems Maintenance which he completed ahead of schedule.
FDF’s Director General Ian Wright said: "Omar is clearly a very gifted and highly regarded apprentice at Mondelez International and is a worthy winner of the ‘Apprentice of the Year’ award. The company recognised Omar’s expertise early on and has invested in his natural ability by supporting him through his Foundation degree in Electronic and Control Engineering. Here at FDF we are delighted to also recognise and congratulate Omar on his achievements and wish him a very successful future in the industry."
Category sponsor Aktrion, commented: "Omar is a classic example of how the Apprentice route can take people with talent and drive and really develop them into a leading member of the team to drive business and productivity improvement. This is exactly why we at Aktrion are so committed to the Apprenticeship scheme both in developing our staff and our clients’ staff. Congratulations Omar"
More information
Event photos are available on FDF's Flickr page
The 2017 FDF Awards will launch in November 2016.
Notes for editors
- The Food and Drink Federation (FDF) is the voice of the food and drink manufacturing industry – the UK's largest manufacturing sector.
- View the winners' case studies
- Mondelez International is a leading food company in the UK and Ireland, producing well-known brands like Cadbury, Kenco and Belvita.
- Aktrion is a leading provider of manufacturing support services to the food and other manufacturing sectors, through its 3,000 workforce providing support labour, staff training, hygiene cleaning, facilities management and productivity improvement projects.
Contact Matthew Evans, Corporate Affairs Division, at: Matthew.Evans@fdf.org.uk, or (0) 20 7420 7152.
