What’s a student to do?

How do we fix this?

We spend years training ourselves to follow the rules knowing full well too many people do not therefore we research and memorize so we can offer opinions based on facts; in an industry where trusting our instincts is paramount.      

We understand there are acceptable levels however, we strive to be the best – the difference between acceptable levels and best practices.     

We are busy trying to build a better tomorrow and are wanting to teach and learn too; we are all students in life.    

We want mentors to teach us how to improve the industries we love so much, to influence change and improve workplace conditions for everyone; especially in an age where day to day life seems to require a HACCP plan.

We gain mentors, forge friendships and experiences along the way.

We learn boundaries, we push them, we break them.

However being told education does not matter, that the rules do not apply, or that we will deal with it tomorrow results in strong people losing faith and hurts the industry we all try to improve.

We lose faith in ourselves.

We lose faith in our mentors.

We lose faith in the industries we strive to protect.

Then we all lose.

Good work is hard to find, good workers, even harder.

Proving you can work in the industry requires long hours, a tough skin, scientific understanding, and a passion for quality food.

Once you prove yourself, you then contend with low wages, dangerous conditions, extreme environments, sexism, racism, communication barriers and a workforce so overworked it’s no wonder they don’t argue when told to look the other way or to accept that that’s the way it is.

But as future leaders in the food industry

We dig deeper than that. We learn to rise above the challenges. We pour ourselves into the industry we love.

The food industry:

It builds us and It breaks us.

It is us.

Author: Michelle Lang (Paxton)