This week’s training news
Retailer’s inside job
Food retailer Julian Graves is putting 150 supervisors through an in-house
‘rising stars supervisory programme’ to help build sales and improve customer
care. Part one of the £50,000 scheme will take place at the company HQ and will
focus on motivation, leadership skills, and communication, with the second
phase being a practical, work-based project. www.juliangraves.co.uk
BBC plan is kid’s play
As part of an ongoing staff development programme 60 employees from the
BBC’s factual and learning division are working with schools on the White City
housing estate in London. The scheme includes training 50 staff as reading
partners to help more than 300 children improve their reading skills. BBC staff
are also involved in a student mentoring scheme, in which they meet with 14
year-olds once a fortnight, and are setting up a media village for local
people. www.bbc.co.uk
Hotel’s class action
The Torquay Hotel Group is sending senior staff back to the classroom to
help spread training through the organisation. Six people are studying for the
Craft Trainer Award, which will enable them to train staff within their own
departments. THG brought the scheme in house after 34 managers successfully completed
the scheme externally. www.tlh.co.uk
On line training
A new rail training centre capable of taking more than 7,000 people a year
has been opened by Wynnwith Rail in Woking, Surrey. The £120,000 centre has
been purpose built and is fitted with a range of catering facilities to handle
the large number of people passing through. The centre will operate several
Rail Training Audit Courses including personal track safety, workplace
assessment, and emergency and electrical first aid. www.wynnwith.co.uk
Training facilities
Facilities management provider City is investing £2m in the training and
development of its 5,000 staff. The firm will set up training academies at four
locations around the UK, provisionally at Southport, Leeds, Birmingham and
London. City employs 7,000 staff in the UK and services Asda’s 254 stores among
other contracts. www.citytechnicalservices.co.uk
CMI gets in the loop
Loop Customer Management has teamed up with the Chartered Management
Institute to provide a two-year training scheme for 60 of its team managers.
Loop has invested £500,000 in the management development programme. www.loop.co.uk
