THE ancient craft of creating oak casks has been part of Scotch whisky for centuries, but the industry yesterday celebrated a new first with the recruitment of two female coopering apprentices.

First-year coopering apprentices Angela Cochrane and Kirsty Olychick – recruited by Scotch distiller Diageo at its Cambus Cooperage in Clackmannanshire – are breaking down the gender barriers and blazing a pioneering trail in the once male dominated trade.

The news marked the start of Scottish Apprenticeship Week, with Diageo celebrating having women employed in every part of its business in Scotland, from senior management roles, to distillery managers, master blenders, electrical and mechanical engineers, and in the traditional crafts of coppersmith and coopering. Last year Diageo celebrated another diversity break-through in a traditional whisky craft when Rebecca Weir became the first female apprentice at the company’s Abercrombie Coppersmiths.

Cochrane and Olychick are part of team of 16 coopering apprentices in the Coopering School at Diageo Cambus, learning the tried and tested skills that have been used for centuries to make the oak casks for the maturation of Scotch whisky.

Former psychiatric nurse, Angela Cochrane, 31, gained the coveted spot on the Cambus Cooperage apprenticeship programme after noticing the advert on Facebook. She said: “I researched a bit about the trade online and thought it sounded like a really interesting career option, so I knew I had to go for it. I’ve never been put off by gender stereotypes. I don’t think that should stop anyone from doing what they want to do. And knowing you’re contributing to the growing whisky industry is an amazing feeling.”

Kirsty Olychick, 38, left her home in Canada to pursue a career in the Scotch whisky industry.

She said: “I’ve always been inspired by the Scotch industry, so it is something I’ve always wanted to be involved in but living in Canada I hadn’t ever been exposed to the coopering craft.

“Coming into a male-dominated workplace didn’t put me off at all, in fact I found it really empowering to be one of the first women to take up the craft and make my mark in history.”