Chivas
Building confidence and the ability to network are two of the benefits 28-year-old Isla Mackay has discovered through her work as a STEM Food & Drink Ambassador.
Isla works as an Assistant Environmental Advisor with Chivas Brothers at Miltonduff Distillery in Elgin, from where she covers 12 distilleries, ensuring compliance with environmental regulations.
She also has a range of experience in engaging with young people and sharing her passion for the environment and geoscience.
Recognising that the distillation process can be hard for younger pupils to understand, she says they are all interested in environmental responsibility.
“The environment is always popular with young people as looking after the planet is now a key part of their education. Even younger pupils can talk about the sustainability principles of reduce, reuse and recycle - and it’s something they can understand,” she said.
Her background is in geology, having completed a degree in the subject before her Masters in environmental management.
“It was geoscience I first started talking to young people about, on subjects like map-reading and geocaching, and I realised how important it is to tap into their creativity to make learning engaging.
“The environment is always popular with young people as looking after the planet is now a key part of their education.”
“If you give them something to do, it gives an insight into their understanding of the subject. So, I used to start by describing a dinosaur to them and getting them to draw it. You then get to see how your words have been interpreted by them.
“I’m not quite sure how I’ll translate the dinosaur drawing into food and drink, but there will be a way,” she laughs.
From being interviewed by Drumnadrochit Primary pupils on Microsoft Teams to attending careers events at Buckie High School or holding sessions looking at water activity at Aberlour primary, she knows she must keep things engaging and interesting.
“I always try to take something tangible, whether it is a small-scale model of our nature-based solutions or a by-product like pot ale syrup that gets used in animal feed or as a biofuel, it’s a great way to start a conversation,” she said.
“It also underlines the variety of roles that are involved in producing whisky, from the farmer growing the barley through to laboratory work. It gives greater visibility to the range of science roles as well as being a woman working in STEM.”
Isla is also proud to have helped set up the first primary school science competition in Lochaber at Lundavra Primary near Fort William.
She said she had struggled with networking in the past but she has found it much easier talking to young people, which has built her confidence in general.
“It’s fun to do and you feel reinvigorated after delivering a session. And in a way, you get to pitch your job, albeit to a demographic you wouldn’t normally interact with at work. Being a STEM ambassador can help teachers, who might not be as confident when they’re talking about STEM subjects, career paths and workplaces,” she said.
Chivas currently has six STEM Food & Drink Ambassadors, which they’re hoping to double in the near future, and the Ambassadors work across different disciplines from chemical engineering to operations and production.
“Chivas is really good at promoting careers and helping young people to understand STEM careers better,” said Isla.
“We often do career events at colleges and universities and hosted our first open day in Strathisla at the end of last year. Events such as those demonstrate the various career pathways our company offers, as well as promote Chivas values. It helps us to spread the word of jobs within the whisky sector in Speyside
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