Rameka Emmanuel Cherrington

,Originally starting out as a stevedore I then moved into log marshalling where i can continue to work on a causal basis to support my family and take shifts around my study at Massey.

Summarising my role would be working in the receivals team. any log that is brought onto the port needs to be accounted for with a identifying ticket, and log measurements with its features (Length, Diameter, knots, sweeps) taken into account to give the load a grade, it is then sorted and stored before loaded onto the ships for export, on a normal day we will recieve about 10,000 logs of various grades via our trains and depending on transport a further 10,000 logs via trucks

• Maintained log scaling accuracy by diligently measuring and recording log dimensions.
• Identified logs of substandard or special grade to return to shippers to be regraded, recut or transferred for other processing.
• Worked alongside other scalers to verify the accuracy of measurements, ensuring reliable results
  

Working in the works was the main driving factors for me to pursue my BVSc, I started after dropping out of school at 15y/o and worked as a labourer in the packing department until my 17th birthday when i was allowed to get my knives and start working on the butchering chain. After a 3 year stint in the boning room i was offered a promotion and started as leading hand on the slaughter floor for 2 years followed by 1 year as the senior foremen for the slaughter board. Before hanging up my knives and heading to Massey in 2021.

I have still get good relationships at AFFCO which has allowed me to return during the summer breaks to work of which my last season for now being the 2023/2024 due to BVSc5 rosters starting.

The driving factor for me to pursue my BVSc started as the company had paid me to complete my Bbus and start a cadetship training as a production manager, which also reuired my diploma in meat tech. But i very soon found out that i didn't like sitting behind a desk and started researching careers that allowed a career path for me to support my family, areas for promotion and payrises while still being able to stay hands on.