Andrew Hall is the second finalist of Pfizer Trainee of the Year Award

The second finalist for this year’s Pfizer Trainee of the Year Award is Andrew Hall

Finalist 2: Andrew Hall

A change in jobs after fire damaged the PD Hook hatchery at Gunness, near Scunthorpe, two years ago opened the eyes of Andrew Hall to new opportunities away from day-old chicks.

It wasn’t the first time his career has taken a sudden turn. He had worked in the pig sector for 10 years and was made redundant when his employer gave up production during the collapse in pig prices in the late 1990s.

Mr Hall found working in the hatchery quite different. Instead of working on his own for most of the day on the pig unit, he became part of a team and over the next eight years became accomplished in hatchery tasks.

After the fire, PD Hook deployed hatchery staff on farms and he welcomed the opportunity. “I’d actually asked for a move as I felt I needed a change,” he recalls.

His first move was to the firm’s Hatfield site near Sandtoft, South Yorkshire, one of the eight 40,000-bird breeder units supplying the Gunness hatchery. Then at the end of the flock he moved to the Susworth farm where he now works among a team of four or five under manager Penny Atkin.

“Moving on to a breeder farm was more like the working pattern on a pig farm,” he says. “You often have one or two sheds to look after and I don’t mind working on my own some of the time.”

When the hatchery reopened, Andrew had already decided his future would be on the farm and he asked his employer if he could be registered on an NVQ course as he was keen to progress.

With the NVQ level 2 in livestock production completed in March, Mr Hall is looking to further the NVQ training and would like to widen his experience by working on a breeder rearing unit and possibly also one of PD Hook’s broiler sites.

If he achieves this, he will be one of the few experienced in all sectors of the chicken production.

The Employee

How has training so far benefited your working?

I now understand the complete working of poultry houses including the feeding system, water drinkers, vents, fans, weighing the birds and culling. Also recording the water and temperature meter readings.

I’ve learned about the all the records and other paperwork kept in the office, and about how the welfare of the birds is protected through the Five Freedoms.

What kind of training would you choose to further your career?

I’d like to do an NVQ in rearing parent stock or broilers – ideally both – and also try for an NVQ level 3 later.

The Employer: Philip Rastall

The progress that Andrew Hall has made in his first two years on a poultry farm has impressed PD Hook area breeder manager Philip Rastall.

“We’ve been impressed as we’ve watched Andy’s level of competence improve and he can turn himself to any job on a breeder production farm today,” says Mr Rastall. “He’s certainly got the potential to move up to assistant manager on one of our breeder units.”

Like many working in the poultry industry today, Mr Hall did not choose a career in the sector – or indeed in farming – when he left school in Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire, at a time when he, like many youngsters, looked to the former coal-fired power station for employment.

PD Hook are well are of the need to present a better image for the career prospects in poultry and Mr Rastall is involved in promoting the poultry apprenticeships scheme which the firm is now running.

Training Record

After 18 years with pigs and day-old chicks, Andrew Hall had only been working on a poultry farm for a few months when he began the NVQ in livestock production.

“Having signed up Andy and carried out a few assessments, it was apparent that he was very keen to learn, but there were gaps in his knowledge and competence,” says Nathan Raines, academy manager of Norfolk-based training provider Poultec.

“He took this on board and worked with his farm manager to develop his experience and skills in these tasks. He has maintained his enthusiasm through completing the NVQ in 12 months and in the process producing an excellent and very detailed portfolio of evidence.”

Mr Raines sees him as a person who grasps an opportunity with both hands. “He is an excellent example of someone who has the motivation and keenness to push himself to the next level.”

The Process

Poultry World will be featuring one more of our finalists chosen from the entries received for the 2009 award next month.

Then readers will have the chance to vote for one of the finalists prior to a prestigious presentation event at the House of Commons in November.