MP for York Central, Hugh Bayley and Shadow Minister for Employment, Stephen Timms visited Nestlé York, the home of iconic brand KitKat on Thursday 13 November 2014 and were greeted by Andrew McIver, Managing Director, Nestlé Confectionery UK&I.
The morning visit started with a presentation by Richard Martin, Technical Director, Nestlé Confectionery UK & Ireland who shared the history of Nestlé and the York site along with an overview of York’s association with confectionery. Fiona Miller, Nestlé Academy Manager then shared insights into the company’s commitment to youth employment, and support for the Apprenticeship Trailblazer programme.
Also discussed was Nestlé’s involvement in the Government’s Your Life campaign and the advanced level apprenticeships on offer at Nestlé.
MP for York Central, Hugh Bayley said:
“As one of York’s biggest employers, Nestlé is extremely important to the York economy and I am pleased that they are continuing to invest in the York site. I am pleased to see that they are engaging with young people through their youth employment initiative. They are also to be congratulated for being one of the first major manufacturers in the UK to become a Living Wage employer.”
Following the presentation, Craft apprentice Will Pycroft and Food Operations apprentice Charlotte Mitchell had the opportunity to share their experiences with Hugh Bayley and Stephen Timms who then enjoyed a visit to the AERO factory.Currently one of the World’s largest confectionery sites (and a significant employer in York), the AERO factory was a £20 million investment in 2008 and manufacturers over 200 million bars a year in addition to AERO Bubbles.