Nestle

Nestlé UK and Ireland has a long-standing commitment to developing early career talent through apprenticeships, offering people the opportunity to gain real-world experience, earn while they learn and build long-term careers across the business.

With six apprenticeship schemes now live across a total of ten different locations, spanning areas such as Supply Chain, Engineering and Operations, Nestlé’s programmes are designed to give individuals meaningful responsibility from day one, alongside the support and structure needed to succeed.

One such apprentice is Ella Baptie, who joined Nestlé’s Customer Supply Chain team following her gap year after from sixth form. Having completed a three-year apprenticeship featuring multiple business rotations, Ella has since secured a permanent role in the customer-facing supply chain team, and has already been recognised as Supply Chain Apprentice of the Year in 2025.

Here, Ella shares how she found her passion, built confidence and launched her career through an apprenticeship at Nestlé.

Taking a different first step

After completing her A-Levels, Ella had always assumed university would be her next move.

Apprenticeships weren’t widely discussed at her sixth form, and it wasn’t until her father, who had been involved in recruitment and apprenticeship planning within his organisation, suggested it that she began to explore the option.

“I honestly didn’t know what I wanted to do,” Ella admits. “I ended up taking a gap year to give me some time and space to think about what my next steps were going to be, and it was during those 12 months that I started looking into apprenticeships as an option.”

One of those applications was to Nestlé’s supply chain apprenticeship. Despite having little understanding of what supply chain actually involved, the scheme stood out to her – and, to her surprise, after going through the interview process, she was successful in landing the role.

“I didn’t think I’d get it, so finding out I had was really exciting. I moved to York from my hometown, which was my first time living away from home. It was nerve-racking, but also a really big moment for me.”

Learning through rotation

Ella’s apprenticeship was structured around three rotations across the business, an approach she believes is one of the programme’s biggest strengths.

“Being so young, you don’t really know what you want to do. The rotations give you the chance to try different areas, learn what suits you and what doesn’t, without feeling like you’ve made the wrong choice.”

Her first rotation was within Nespresso’s delivery services team, where she was quickly given responsibility on major projects, including a warehouse move.

“It really threw me in at the deep end, but in the best way. I was coordinating stock movements, working with external teams and learning so much about how a business actually operates. I also got my own pair of boots to wear around the warehouse!”

From there, Ella moved into Nestlé’s customer-facing supply chain team, working initially on the Waitrose account before taking on Amazon and, later moving onto Asda – one of Nestlé’s largest customers. Each rotation brought new challenges and required her to adapt her communication style and stakeholder approach.

“Every customer is different. You learn quickly that it’s not one-size-fits-all, and that relationships, trust and knowing how to communicate in the right way is important.”

Finding passion in the unexpected

Before starting her apprenticeship, Ella admits working in supply chain wasn’t a career she had ever imagined for herself.

“On the surface, supply chain doesn’t look very glamorous. But I’ve found a real passion for it. It’s people-focused, fast-paced and far more varied than I expected.”

Alongside on-the-job learning, Ella completed her apprenticeship studies, developing strong presentation, communication and technical supply chain knowledge. She finished the programme with distinctions across the board – including near-perfect marks – and was later named Supply Chain Apprentice of the Year.

“That recognition was really rewarding, but the biggest achievement for me is how much I’ve grown as a person.”

Support from day one

Ella credits much of her success to the support network built into Nestlé’s apprenticeship programme. From line managers to dedicated apprenticeship champions – many of whom were former apprentices themselves – support was always close at hand.

“There was always someone you could go to for advice, whether it was about coursework, work challenges or future roles. It creates a real sense of community, which is so important when you’re joining a big business for the first time.”

Looking ahead

Now in a permanent role within the customer-facing supply chain team, Ella is keen to continue developing her career at Nestlé, exploring new opportunities and building on the foundations laid during her apprenticeship.

“I’ve matured so much through this experience. I’m only 22, but I feel really confident in myself and my abilities.”

Ella is passionate about encouraging others to consider apprenticeships, particularly those who may be unsure about their next step.

“If you’re even thinking about university, it’s worth checking whether there’s an apprenticeship option too. You gain real experience, earn a qualification and learn how a business actually works. I couldn’t recommend it enough.”