ELLIE BURR
CRADOC'S SAVOURY BISCUITS
We caught up with Ellie towards the end of her placement to ask her a couple of questions about her time at Cradoc's.
Hey Ellie, what have you been up to at Cradoc’s during your placement?
I have been involved with the Finance side of things at Cradoc’s. I have been managing the cost of production, identifying where cuts can be made to reduce costs and identifying new and cheaper suppliers.
I have also been instrumental in looking at sales patterns and informing the business of their least/most profitable products. As a small business, I have also been involved in sales, market research and NPD.
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How do you think the Student Placement Programme has helped in terms of setting you up for starting your career?
I think this programme has allowed me to gain an insight into the opportunities available to me and others within the food and drink industry. Working at Cradoc’s has also taught me what is involved in owning a business, especially during a growth period.
You’re right - there are so many opportunities available in the food and drink industry. What skills have you learned while being on placement at Cradoc’s?
I have had the chance to develop good communication skills through constantly being in contact with potential customers and suppliers. I have also gained good time management skills and the ability to prioritise tasks that need to be completed at specific times.
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Finally, would you recommend the Student Placement Programme to other students and why?
Yes - I would recommend The Student Placement Programme. It is an excellent opportunity to gain an insight into all aspects of running a business and will allow you to apply academic theory in practice. It showcases the Welsh food and drink industry in a different light and shows the many opportunities that it can provide for young people and businesses within it.
Cradoc’s have benefitted from having a very willing placement student in Ellie Burr. Ellie has completed the tasks she was set and contributed wholeheartedly to the administration of the finance projects, team meetings and ideas generation. It has been valuable for us to have a reliable placement who can manage comprehensive and complex spreadsheets.
Ellie has populated the Cost Model Tool and is enabling us to maximise its outputs by generating information which informs decisions and planning going forward We have not had this option before the placement scheme Ellie has contributed to the financial security of the company and given us confidence to move forward. We see the benefit of employing this role.