Meet Maxine Ford, Engineer at our Cannington site

What interested you in Engineering?

I’ve been interested in engineering since I was in my teens; my dad was an engineer and I found it fascinating when he would fix broken toys and appliances. In school, I wasn’t encouraged to pursue a career in engineering and it wasn’t until I started to work for Yeo Valley that I felt my passion for engineering being reawakened! What attracted you to Yeo Valley? Yeo Valley is one of the largest businesses in the area. My brother was working here, and twelve years ago he informed me that a role had become available - I have been here ever since. What do you enjoy about your current role/what are you looking forward to in your role? I love the little victories that come with engineering; I love the challenge of getting to a machine or piece of equipment and not only having to work out what the problem is, but also how to fix it. I also really enjoy doing programming. I’m looking forward to getting even more experience in my role - I’m still learning something new every time I’m in work and I hope that continues. We aspire to have a diverse workforce here at Yeo Valley. What would you say to other females thinking about a career in manufacturing? I would tell them to go for it! There are so many different jobs within the industry, there is something for everyone. You can learn so much, pick up new skills, and who knows? It may open up a career path that you had never even considered. When I started at Yeo Valley I never imagined that I would have the opportunity to become a fully qualified engineer.