Gordon & MacPhail colleague receives top award for commitment to supporting young people of Moray

Issue date: Thursday 19 th October

Moira Stickle, HR Manager at Gordon & MacPhail, has been awarded the prestigious Developing Young Workforce (DYW) Moray Employer Recognition Award for her exceptional commitment to supporting young people in the region.

The award seeks to recognise and thank local individuals and employers each month for their hard work and commitment to DYW, which goes a long way to helping prepare Moray’s young people for the world of work.

Gordon & MacPhail, the fourth-generation family-owned Scotch whisky and premium spirits company based in Elgin, has been an integral part of the local community since the business was established in 1895. The company remains dedicated to nurturing the talents and aspirations of young people in Moray. Championed by Moira, Gordon & MacPhail’s community engagement initiatives have taken various forms, including career fairs, classroom talks, mock interviews, a Career Ready programme, foundation apprenticeships, work experiences, and educational workshops. These efforts have provided invaluable opportunities for young people to explore potential career paths and gain hands-on experience.

Moira leads a team within the company which focuses on supporting young people, consisting of employees from a range of departments. This proactive approach has seen Gordon & MacPhail engage with more young individuals than ever before, thanks to Moira’s dedication to supporting the local community and wider team members to engage in the organisation’s various initiatives, which has inspired and rallied these employees to actively engage with and support local youth.

Moira Stickle, HR Manager at Gordon & MacPhail, said: “One of the main benefits of engagement with Moray’s young people is that it links us with the community and future talent to ensure the business can recruit the talent it needs to achieve objectives. It feels great to be able to give back, and to remember it is in all our interests to support our young people”

Becky Pearce, Head of HR at Gordon & MacPhail said: “Moira’s efforts have amplified the positive impact of the organisation on the local community, ensuring that more young people have access to opportunities and support in Moray.”

Aimee Stephen, Business Liaison at Developing Young Workforce Moray, said: “Moira's support has been outstanding, particularly her leadership and coordination, when supporting DYW Moray. Her efforts have ensured that Gordon & MacPhail is wholeheartedly engaged in supporting DYW's initiatives within our community by supporting every secondary school in Moray, as well as many primary schools and UHI Moray. A heartfelt congratulations to Moira and her team for their exceptional work.”

Prior to joining Gordon & MacPhail over five years ago, Moira served as the programme manager for DYW Moray where her passion for supporting young people grew. Since then, she has continued to be a strong advocate for DYW Moray's mission.