Ellie Shepherd, the first female apprentice in a shopfloor position at Oldham-based Hill’s Panel Products (HPP), has been selected as a trailblazing woman at work.
Amazing Apprenticeships, a leading organisation in education, has released the second volume of the ‘Apprenticeship A-Z Flashcards’ to mark the launch of International Women’s Day on Friday, 8th March 2024. The organisation aims to tackle misconceptions, promoting the benefits of apprenticeships and technical education by working with schools, colleges and employers.
“We have trawled the length and breadth of the apprenticeship world to discover 25 unique, confident and amazing apprentices working in a fantastic range of different job roles,” Amazing Apprenticeships shared on their website.
As a teenager enrolled in the Level 2 Furniture Manufacturer Apprenticeship program with HPP, Ellie joins a cohort of 25 young women hailing from various regions across the UK. In the 'Apprenticeship A-Z of Women at Work' initiative, Ellie is featured in the Flashcard - 'F for furniture maker'.
“Level 2 Furniture Manufacturer apprentice Ellie Shepherd told of her double motivation to do well - proving a point and showing what girls can achieve in the manufacturing industry - when she became our first female apprentice in a shopfloor role last summer,” shared HPP in a statement.
She decided to pursue a manual apprenticeship after seeing her 19-year-old brother Sam working as a cabinet maker - and was even more determined when her decision met with scepticism in some quarters.
"I was told I should think about working in a pharmacy or work like that. But when I saw what my brother was doing, I said that's what I wanted to do, and even though people said I wouldn't be able to, I said I would prove everybody wrong!” Ellie said.
She is due to finish her apprenticeship in the summer.
"I want to get as many qualifications as possible to go higher in the company, becoming a supervisor and even a manager. And I want to prove that a girl can do that.
“I have a point to prove, and I’m going to prove it,” Ellie signed off.
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