An MP has spoken of his enjoyment of a recent factory tour.

John Steven, the MP for Carlisle, visited the Nestle factory in Dalston last Friday (February 4).

During the tour, the MP met with the current employees and apprentices.

Mr Stevenson added: “It was lovely to meet with the employees and apprentices and hear about their experience of working for Nestle and their experience of the apprenticeships on offer.

“I also thoroughly enjoyed the tour of the factory to see the investment that has recently been made into the factory.

“It is great to see big companies such as Nestle investing in the factory and in local people.’’

The MP was guided around the factory by the site leader, Euan Horman, who was appointed in October 2022, and was introduced to Emma Keltie, manufacturing excellence manager at the factory.

Mr Stevenson was able to talk with the Dalston apprentices and hear about their experiences just ahead of National Apprenticeship Week, which runs from February 6 to 12.  

The Dalston factory employs more than 300 people, including 18 apprentices currently.

In Dalston, the apprentices work within manufacturing operations, which means engineering and manufacturing apprentices are trained on-site.

The visit also provided Mr Stevenson with the opportunity to see first-hand how the Dalston factory has benefitted from more than £70million pounds worth of investment over the last ten years, including machinery upgrades on the filling lines and in the packing hall.

Nestle said these investments have presented the local manufacturing team with an opportunity to retrain and upskill, as well as introduce more advanced opportunities for manufacturing apprentices and graduates.

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