Life at GA Pet Food Partners
GA Pet Food Partners (GA) is a family-owned and family-run business where every colleague is considered an integral part of the family.
To recognise and reward their dedicated efforts, GA is committed to enhancing the lives of their colleagues by organising team bonding events. These events include an annual Family Fun Day, Christmas parties, organising and funding sports teams, and team bonding days out. However, there is much more to discover about life at GA. Read on to find out more.
Apprenticeships
GA Pet Food Partners has a strong engagement with apprenticeships across various business areas, including Engineering, Human Resources, Accountancy, and Business Administration. Currently, there are ten apprentices employed at different stages of their study programmes. These courses are conducted in collaboration with Runshaw College, Preston College, Southport College, and St Helens College.
In addition, GA has established a new partnership with Runshaw College. This strategic alliance was facilitated through the North and Western Lancashire Chamber of Commerce Young Chamber programme. The programme aims to enhance student engagement within the local business community, providing them with work skills, knowledge, and experience that complement their academic qualifications.
As part of GA Pet Food Partners’ dedication to collaborative work with educational institutions, we are delighted to announce our participation in the Employer Partnership Board (EPB) of Runshaw College. To learn more about this story, please click here.
GA Pet Food Partners strives to contribute to the local community by giving back and supporting education. One of our initiatives in this regard is the delivery of apprenticeships, which aim to nurture talent in the area. This programme aligns closely with our core value of innovation, as it reflects our commitment to expanding and strengthening our GA family while continuously improving and developing our departments.
Apprenticeships offer an excellent opportunity to gain practical experience in a business while also acquiring knowledge and understanding related to the role. Each apprentice follows a specific framework that outlines the relevant knowledge, skills, and behaviours to be developed during the apprenticeship, which are then assessed through an end-point assessment.
We provide a variety of apprenticeships across different departments and levels, including Engineering, Labs, Quality Control, and HR. We consistently strive to enhance and diversify the range of apprenticeships we offer to meet the evolving needs of our business. To view our current apprenticeship vacancies, please click here.
We strongly believe that apprenticeships are a valuable means of cultivating new talent and providing opportunities for our existing colleagues to enhance their skills and competencies.
Best Companies Awards
GA Pet Food Partners is proud to have been awarded the Best Companies “Very Good to Work For 2023” Award. The b-Heard Survey invites our colleagues to score 70 statements about their well-being, pay and benefits, personal growth, team, leadership, and much more. It is scored on a seven-point scale that allows for more nuanced responses than an agree/disagree model or five-point scale. This, combined with Best Companies’ unique 8-factor model, provides GA with a structured and accurate insight into how our colleagues feel. The b-Heard Survey is strictly confidential, allowing our colleagues to give honest responses without fear of reprisal.
Once the survey is complete, GA receives a Best Companies Index (BCI) score, which measures workplace engagement. If the BCI score is high enough, GA earns accreditation. “Very Good to Work For” 1-star accreditation is a significant achievement that shows an organisation is taking workplace engagement seriously. Awarded to organisations with a BCI score of at least 659.5, the 1-star accreditation signifies ‘very good’ levels of workplace engagement.
GA is also delighted to announce that we have been awarded not only the “Very Good to Work For” award but also rated in the top 100 of the best large companies to work for in the UK, the top 75 best companies to work for in the North West of England, and one of the top 10 best companies to work for in manufacturing.
Lancashire Business View Red Rose Awards
2022 Large Business Winners and 2023 Family Business Award and 2023 Export Award Winners!
The Red Rose Awards is a prestigious event that celebrates the achievements of businesses, commerce, and industry in Lancashire. It serves as a valuable platform to promote success, foster inter-trading, and encourage economic growth in the county.
Lancashire Business View created this event to recognise business excellence, provide an exceptional platform to share success stories, and foster trade within the county.
In 2022, GA Pet Food Partners was thrilled to receive the Lancashire Business View Red Rose Award for Large Business. However, we are even more delighted to announce that in 2023, GA Pet Food Partners has been honoured with both the Family Business Award and the Export Award at the Red Rose Awards.
Colleague Development
GA Pet Food Partners has several colleagues who began their journey at GA working in the company’s production areas before progressing into office-based roles.
Diana Stan, who works within the Human Resources Department, began her journey working in the Small Pack Department before progressing to become a key member of the Human Resources team. Diana is from Romania and came to the UK in July 2014 with her husband, Alin.
Diana brings all the skills and knowledge of the production teams to the HR Department and offers guidance on what will improve the happiness and well-being of those working within the production areas. Diana is a huge advocate of the English lessons, having studied herself at Preston College following her 12-hour shifts within the Small Pack Department. Diana has found that having good English language skills has helped her develop herself both within GA and in the UK. When asked about her GA journey, Diana said:
Colleague of the Quarter
GA Pet Food Partners has established a Colleague of the Quarter scheme, enabling colleagues to nominate their peers who have demonstrated exceptional dedication and exceeded expectations in their roles. This award serves as a means to celebrate colleagues’ accomplishments and rewards them with a £500 prize, intended to be used for a weekend getaway of their choosing.
GA recognises the importance of acknowledging colleagues’ contributions and has introduced the Chairman’s Award. This initiative enables managers and directors to personally commend deserving colleagues and express gratitude for their invaluable commitment as esteemed members of the GA family.
English Lessons
GA Pet Food Partners has recently engaged the services of an independent English teacher to deliver English lessons to our European colleagues. The response to this initiative has been outstanding, with 230 colleagues currently enrolled. Enhancing their English language proficiency is crucial for those seeking to forge their own path in the UK. Furthermore, GA is committed to supporting colleagues of all nationalities by fostering a stable and supportive environment for them and their families. Through the provision of complimentary English lessons, GA aims to empower colleagues to attain their goals and aspirations.
GA Sports & Team Building
We are keen to encourage and support any team-building activities and clubs, from the four teams in the GA Football League to the go-karting and fishing clubs. GA Pet Food Partners provides financial sponsorship to encourage our colleagues to join in. This allows them to socialise and grow closer with their teammates and colleagues from other departments, further helping to improve the morale and physical and mental well-being of our colleagues.
GA Christmas Parties
Christmas wouldn’t be complete without a Christmas party, and at GA Pet Food Partners, we are committed to ensuring that everyone can partake in the festivities. Our Christmas party is always a delightful and relaxed affair, featuring live music performances, complimentary food and beverages, and transport provided for our colleagues. It’s our way of expressing gratitude for their dedication and efforts throughout the year.
Runshaw College Employer Partnership Board
As part of its commitment to working collaboratively with educational establishments in the vicinity of its sites, GA Pet Food Partners is pleased to announce that it will be joining the Employer Partnership Board (EPB) of Runshaw College. With campuses in both Leyland and Chorley, Runshaw College has been delivering outstanding teaching and learning since 1974, as well as offering exceptional pastoral care. As a result, students have access to a wide range of opportunities and experiences to help develop skills that will prepare them fully for higher education and employment.
The EPB was formed to ensure the college continues to offer courses and apprenticeships that will progress its students and meet the needs of future labour market requirements. Runshaw is working with employers like GA, at the heart of the community, across a range of sectors, who can inform them about their sector, future skills needs, skills gaps, and opportunities. Employers’ combined professional input in these areas will feed into Runshaw’s future curriculum plans. New courses and apprenticeship programmes will be researched and sourced using this information, enabling Runshaw to offer the best possible provision to its students.
The purpose of the EPB is to:
- Share key industry information
- Identify future demand and skills shortages
- Enhance curriculum and programmes: Sixth Form College, Adult College, and Apprenticeships
- Provide curriculum intent and propose changes from findings
“I am delighted that GA Pet Food Partners has become a member of the Employer Partnership Board at Runshaw College. We are proud to work in close collaboration with a broad range of employers so that we can fully understand and meet the future skills needs in our region. Our employer partners enhance and co-create the curriculum so that all our students (whether they are young people, adults, or apprentices) are well-prepared for their role in the future workforce.”
Clare Russell
Principal & CEO, Runshaw College