2 Sisters recruitment drive to create 100 jobs

The recruitment drive is aimed at workers left without employment in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. The manufacturer is offering temporary, full-time and part-time positions across a number of different departments – including intake, frying, packing and dispatch.

Denise Berry, business support manager at the Thetford site, said more workers were needed to enable the food industry to feed the nation despite the economic damage triggered by the virus.

Temporary to permanent positions ​

“We have reached out to the local community to explain that although we’re supplementing our own employees with agency staff at the moment, we would really like to convert these to permanent colleagues who work directly for our business,”​ she continued.

“There are some great opportunities available and we have many examples of people who have gone on to have long and fulfilling careers in the business – for those ambitious and capable, there’s good opportunities for career progression.”​

The Thetford recruitment drive comes less than two months after 2 Sisters announced plans to kick-start youth employment across its Devon and Lincolnshire factories. That was in support of the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s plan to get more young people into work.

Berry added: “The fall-out of this crisis will hit vulnerable young workers harder than other age groups, so again this is where we can also help at Thetford.​

‘Further careers’​

“We understand that the Kickstart scheme is an initial six-month placement, but this is not to say there wouldn’t be further opportunities for those starting out in their careers to develop themselves and stay at the business.”​

Poultry producer 2 Sisters employs more than 800 people at its base at Caxton Way, Thetford and 20,000 overall across the UK and Europe.

In March, the business made a social media video appeal after the company decided to launch its first-ever nationwide recruitment campaign​​ due to the level of vacancies across all its businesses.

Meanwhile, last month, Hain Daniels – the food manufacturer producing Linda McCartney’s under licence – announced it was to create 80 jobs,​​ as part of its plan to ramp up production to cater for increasing consumer demand for meat-free products.