With the kick off of the new mrW Office section, “Farming, Fishing and Food” we turn our informational gaze to food processor workers. This is a group of hard working individuals who literally and figuratively touch our lives every day. For every kind of food we slice, dice, bake, cook, grill, broil, boil or nuke in the microwave there has been a long line of food processors standing behind the product to make sure it’s just what we ordered. We all got to eat which means we’re always going to need food processors.

Our food chain begins down on the farm or under the sea. All of our food needs to be harvested, caught or slaughtered; there’s just no way around that. Food processors step up to the line once these items have been brought into the particular processing plants. These jobs can be broken down into to basic categories: baking or cutting.

On the baking side, the food processors could be sorting the produce, mixing the ingredients, baking the mix and then adding the final frosting touches. Depending on the quantity this can either be a true hands on job or more of a hands on pushing a huge cart of dough kind of job. Every pre-packaged item we buy at the grocery store has in essence gone through some form of a baking process. Whether that is bread, crackers, pickles or potato chips there has been a level of transforming the raw ingredients into those delectable items we enjoy.

A more direct version of this type of food processor can be find at your local grocery store’s bakery department. These bakers are following the same kinds of recipes as their factory counterparts but on a much smaller yet varied scale. In other words, if you’re a baker at the Oreo factory you’re just going to be making Oreos but the baker at the grocery store will be making breads, muffins, cakes, cookies, etc. What would be more interesting for you? Read More...

For some folks, the idea of an apprentice means running around New York in an Armani suit trying to impress Donald Trump. However, out here in the real world, apprenticeships can provide valuable training and experience for anyone who is interested in working in a particular skilled labor job. Typically an apprenticeship combines some elements of classroom assignments with practical hands on work. Once you complete an apprenticeship program you can then become certified to work in that field. Apprenticeships are the perfect way to immerse yourself into the trades and kick start your career. That all sounds great; now let’s get practical.

The first thing you need to consider about entering into an apprenticeship program is exactly what field do you want to work in? When you sign up for college, you can choose to have an undeclared major and spend the first couple of semesters trying out a few courses to see what you might like to pursue. That’s perfect if you have unlimited time and financial resources. But because you are going to be devoting a lot of energy and yes, hard work, into an apprenticeship program it’s important that you start out with a particular field that holds some interest for you. This doesn’t mean you need to have a burning passion to become a plumber. But if you recognize the benefits associated with learning a skill that will always been in demand and you’re not afraid to “get dirty” then why not plumbing? Start with something that peaks your interest and build on that. Read More...