E&J are determined to show that there’s more to veterinary careers than working in pet clinics, which is why we’re proud to provide UK students with exciting work experience opportunities.

By shadowing our dedicated Official Veterinarians (OVs) in abattoirs, ports and airports, students can get first-hand experience protecting public health and animal welfare, while learning more about the crucial work Official Veterinarians do to ensure food is safe.

We were incredibly lucky to be joined by Jessica Varney last summer, a student who worked in abattoirs alongside our veterinary professionals.

Jessica studied at Harper & Keele Veterinary School and spent her time with us across two food processing plants, finding this to be an eye-opening experience. For her, the highlight was the speed and precision at which our highly trained colleagues work.

She said: “It was good to see the OVs in action, ensuring good animal welfare throughout the process – it was also incredible to see how quickly the process occurs from stunning to storage in the chillers. I really enjoyed my time across the two areas; the staff were very informative and were happy to answer my many questions. I’ve learnt that there is so much that goes on behind the scenes which the majority of consumers are unaware of.”

UK veterinary students spend time in an abattoir as part of their course, with some opting to take on further study in this area. We asked Jessica about how this work experience will help her studies and career.

She said: “In Year 3 of vet school, we had a Public Health and State Veterinary Medicine Module. In this module we learnt about the white and red meat process. It was great to apply what was taught in these lectures to real life.”

If you’re in your final year at university and looking for work experience, our Talent Acquisition Team would be delighted to talk to you and provide all the information you need. Contact us at recruitment@eandj.co.uk.