Morrisons delivers training to more than 24,000 employees

Article Type: Notes and news From: Industrial and Commercial Training, Volume 43, Issue 2

More than 24,000 employees of UK supermarket chain Morrisons received their vocational qualifications in the largest graduation of its kind.

Having trained these 24,000 butchers, bakers, greengrocers and fishmongers to Qualifications and Credit Framework (QCF) level 2, Morrisons is now pledging to extend the program across the full spectrum of supermarket jobs.

Of the 24,000, some 3,500 employees will also be awarded a retail/modern apprenticeship. A further 2,000 have signed up for the apprenticeship program.

Morrisons wants to lead the retail trade in building craft skills among its people – it already claims to train more bakers, butchers and fishmongers than any other retailer. It is on track to train 100,000 people to QCF level 2 by the end of this year through its academy as part of a multi-phase rollout. The next phase will see the training program targeted at the cafe, canteen,petrol, wines and spirits, warehouse, and home and leisure departments. Morrisons will also be training cleaners, check-out operators and grocery staff to the same level.

Norman Pickavance, group HR director, said:

We believe Morrisons can gain a competitive advantage by having the best-trained staff. For example, we want our butchers to skilfully produce meat to a customer’s specification and be able to advise on how to cook it. Our customers will go home happier as a result.

We also want Morrisons to be seen as the best employer in the food trade and training forms an important part of our offer to employees.

Trevor Luker, managing director at Pearson Work-based Learning, commented:

Morrisons is a leading example of a retailer committed to helping its staff to fulfill their potential. Pearson Work-Based Learning has worked with Morrisons to ensure that each QCF level 2 is tailored to make it relevant to each employee. In establishing a target to train 100,000 staff by the end of this year, the company has set a great example to other employers and demonstrated a fantastic commitment to training and development.

Meanwhile, Morrisons has been awarded accreditation status by the Royal Society for Public Health in recognition of the high-quality food-safety training taking place in its logistics division.

Professor Richard Parish, RSPH chief executive, said:

Morrisons has now achieved accreditation for training in both the retail and logistics divisions of its business. Once again the company has demonstrated its commitment to the highest standards, ensuring that staff and customers receive excellent service.

Morrisons stores, located from the Highlands of Scotland to the Cornish coast, are serviced 24 hours a day, seven days a week through regional distribution centers. The logistics team has to ensure that food is handled safely throughout, across all temperature bands from ambient to chilled and frozen.

Liz Window, Morrisons training lead, logistics, said:

Our retail division achieved RSPH accreditation last year so we have first-hand experience of the value of this expert assessment. The RSPH has helped us to enhance the quality of our training programs and ensure they deliver real value to the organization.