Supermarket giant Safeway has
prioritised training in its bid to compete with rival chains.
The store has invested
more than £100,000 in training, which will allow staff to become NVQ accredited
butchers, bakers, fishmongers and greengrocers.
It has also opened a
training school dedicated to improving staff development and customer service.
Chief executive officer
Carlos Criedo-Perez identified training as crucial to the store’s success when
he joined 18 months ago.
Safeway has developed
the courses in conjunction with the Meat Training Council and the Sea Fish
Authority.
Senior staff can also
take part in externally accredited department manager programmes.
And the chain has
invested more than £10,000 in a "Safeway School" to equip employees
with the skills needed to work in the Fresh To Go areas, which will open in
eight stores around the Southeast.
Staff are taught
skills like pizza throwing, wok cooking and preparing pasta for the new areas,
where customers will be able to buy freshly made produce.
They also receive
confidence training from Maynard Leigh, a company that uses its theatrical
techniques to improve customer service skills.
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Store training manager
Sue Scouler-Davison said, "The programme is designed to help staff build
confidence in themselves so they take personal responsibility for the service
to the customer."
Safeway has 76,000
employees.
