Industrial training in Guinness Anchor is never an easy task to handle. I guess for a newbie like me and my friends, the first industrial working experience will always be an unforgettable experience for every one of us.
I started the training in GAB last 1st December. I was enthusiastically stepping across the front gate threshold of GAB, passed by the Human Resource Department, and then the Technical Department, which I will receive my training here for 4 months.
The first day of work, the manager and assistant manager briefly discussed with me on my training program. They promised me a good learning environment and telling that I will have a lot of chance to learn and they are willing to teach. Basically, GAB production team mainly composed of Brewing, Packaging, Engineering and Quality & Process Assurance Department. The main department I would be attached to is the QPA Department, for which this department will cooperate with other 3 departments, and they responsible for the final decision-making before the finished products are released to the market.
However, things were not as good as I thought initially. For the first month of training, I been taught by my supervisor about the in process quality checking, basically about the daily routine check on the products’ quality which includes the raw materials, by-products and finished products. Quality parameters basically involved pH, Original gravity, color, foam stability and haze. There are a lot parameters yet to learn, however, until now that’s all I have learned.
Then, I was being assigned with a project by my manager, generally about the laboratory instrumental maintenance and calibration. I have to conquer and familiarize myself with the instruments which I have never seen before this in my life. I was also helping my assistant manager in her monthly reports and also her quality improvement team. Her team works on Beer Foam Quality Improvement. I enjoy working with her because she is knowledgeable and willing to teach me. 🙂 Other than that, I also involved in Beer Sensory testing, which I help another senior staff to prepare the beer samples for staff training, beer quality tasting and also for Heineken Sensory Ring Analysis.
You might think my training life seems interesting and lot to learn isn’t it? However, I don’t feel it’s enough. I wasn’t happy with my training there. I felt I need to learn more but they didn’t give me enough chances to learn.
Well, good news came in yesterday. My supervisor has a brief meeting with me. He told me that they will arrange my schedule as they promised. I am being told that I will have a chance to undergo training in Brewing, Packaging and Engineering departments after Chinese New Year, at which I will stay for two weeks at each of these departments.
Another good news is that finally I got the chance to enter the microbiology laboratory and start learning on sample analyzing, agar preparation and etc. !!!
I am feeling better and start to feel more excited with my training experience in GAB. Well, the only worry now is my health. I have to make sure I am always in good health condition otherwise I would waste all the great chances that come to me. May God bless me.
Trust me, brewing beer is not just about Science, but is also an Art. It’s never easy to master about brewery industry and there is only two brewer masters in Malaysia. One in GAB and another man in Carlsberg. Different types of beers, either lager or ales, there are different types of process involved in order to produce them.
Well, I know I can’t master them within 4 months time. However, I am confident that I would able to understand each stage of beer production within the 4 months time in GAB. 🙂
May God bless me and my friends. May all of us gain the memorable experience during the 4-months internship program.