Kepak and Meat Business Women (MBW) have partnered on a new pilot programme to support the progression of women working in factory floor roles across the food industry.
The programme was developed in response to feedback from Kepak’s operative workforce focus groups at MBW-hosted events in 2024, which found that gender bias and a confidence gap were the primary challenges affecting women in operations and manufacturing roles.
The four-month pilot took place with employees from Kepak’s sites in Clonee, Athleague, Ballymahon, Ballybay, and Cavan and focused on key topics including: building confidence; assertiveness and personal brand; navigating change; and strategic networking.
Women in factory roles
The workshops were developed to give women at Kepak practical tools, knowledge, and strategies to support their progression into leadership.
Each participant attended four in-person workshops and was also matched with an internal mentor.
They also received MBW membership, which provides access to ongoing professional development and a global network of women across the meat industry to further build their connections.
According to the two groups, on the back of the success of the programme, it will be rolled out across Meat Business Women’s wider network of strategic partners, offering other businesses the opportunity to invest in the growth and retention of their operational talent.
Quality controller, Kepak Ballybay and pilot programme participant, Sabrina Farrelly said: “After completing the programme, I’m more confident at work.
“I had doubts about being good enough and not wanting to progress as I felt comfortable in my current role, however, during the four pilot workshops, these thoughts were put out of my head as soon as we learned more about the tools needed to build confidence.
“I would recommend this course highly to any person that is given the opportunity to complete it. My mindset has completely changed from self-doubt to confidence since completing the pilot programme.”
Learning and development manager, Kepak, Niamh McTrinley added: “At Kepak, we take pride in being a great place to work where people are respected and empowered.
“This pilot programme developed in partnership with Meat Business Women is a direct response to the needs of our operations team and the wider industry.
“The results speak for themselves – 82% of participants reported increased confidence to pursue professional ambitions and taking the next step in their career with Kepak after taking part in the programme.”
Founder and global chair of Meat Business Women, Laura Ryan said: “We know that there are particular challenges facing women in operative roles and are proud to work with our programme provider to offer a practical, data-led solution to this, with fantastic results.
“Our priority as an organisation remains the attraction, development and retention of the best talent and we believe that by investing in women in operational roles, we’re supporting the development of internal talent pipelines, which are critical to the ensuring that businesses remain sustainable and profitable.”
Women in meat workforce
A recent MBW report found that the proportion of women in the meat workforce has declined from 36% in 2020 to 33.5% in 2023. The most significant drop was in operations roles, which fell from 40% to 36%.
The report also found that many women still bear the majority of childcare responsibilities, which combined with rising childcare costs has made access to work more difficult, especially in entry-level roles.
On completion of the four-month pilot programme, Kepak said:
- 82% of participants reported increased confidence to pursue professional ambitions and taking the next step in their career with Kepak;
- 85% felt better equipped to build support systems (e.g., through networking and mentorship) and intend to continue this after the programme;
- 100% would recommend the programme to a colleague.
The meat processor added that this pilot marks a significant milestone in Kepak’s commitment to building a more inclusive and supportive operational workforce.
The company has also said that it demonstrates the value of Meat Business Women’s evidence-based, partnership-led approach to developing and retaining female talent across the supply chain.
Kepak
Kepak Group is a family-owned meat company with a heritage of over 50 years. From its beginnings as a butcher shop in Dublin in 1966, Kepak has grown into a €1.8 billion business employing over 4,500 people.
The group operates 14 manufacturing facilities across Ireland and the UK, with sales offices in Europe, the US and Asia.
Kepak serves both retail and foodservice markets with brands including Big Al’s, Rustlers, Celtic Beef and John Stone.
Meat Business Women
Meat Business Women works in partnership with meat businesses and the supply chain to remove the barriers that stop women from reaching their full professional potential.
It does this by focusing on five key areas: changing perceptions of the sector; moving inclusion up the agenda; tackling the broken career ladder; strengthening networks and creating visible role models; and gender-proofing working practices and patterns.
MBW is the United Nation’s (UN) recognised global professional network for women working across the meat industry.
It was created to improve the sustainability of the meat sector and grow the pipeline of female talent in what is often considered a male dominated arena.
MBW works in partnership with over 50 global meat businesses and has the strategic backing of leading manufacturers, retailers, and foodservice companies as well as supporting industry organisations.
