Now you do the maths

The impetus to create in-house training programmes for staff is growing with sector skills council Improve's constant stress on the requirement to strengthen workers' skills base.

Baked goods supplier BakeMark UK, based in the Wirral in Merseyside, is one company that has taken that call seriously. The firm, which makes the Arkady, Craigmillar, Readi-Bake, Caravan Brill and Bon Vivant brands, has launched a Learning Resource Centre in partnership with the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers (Usdaw).

Sue Prynn has been seconded from Usdaw to be on-site learning co-ordinator, strengthening relations with the organisation. Prynn will be working with human resources advisor Nathan Lloyd to devise the training programme and source the necessary resources.

"We work with a variety of UK companies to encourage them to take part in learning programmes," says Prynn, who is qualified to assess the training. "We are delighted that BakeMark UK has made this substantial commitment to investing in people, which ultimately is to the benefit of all involved. I feel now, with all the training that Usdaw has given me, we will make the Learning Resource Centre a huge success."

It seems that her enthusiasm is not unfounded. The centre is geared to offering a range of courses, from IT and numeracy to literacy and modern languages and looks set to be as much about personal development as it will be about career development.

One major focus will be on equipping staff with an NVQ in performing manufacturing operations, tutoring for which has only recently been set up. "We're looking at assessing continuous improvement, teamwork and leadership," says Lloyd.

On the IT side, BakeMark UK has also been engaged in intermediate and advanced Microsoft Excel and Word training, he says. "We've had people right across the business signing up to that, from the factory floor to the offices."

However, the more advanced training is only part of the picture. Lloyd says the first 45 workers who signed up are already taking their exams in numeracy and literacy.

In December 2006 the Leitch Review recommended that the amount of workforce adults with at least level 2 numeracy and literacy qualifications should rise from 70% to 90% or 95% where feasible by 2020.

In line with subsequent government numeracy and literacy targets, BakeMark UK aims to train all its 550 staff to at least level 2 numeracy and literacy by 2009.

Teaching so far has taken place before and after workers' shifts, but the company has just linked up with Learndirect to facilitate online learning, potentially from home. "It can be done remotely or fitted around shifts, with workers getting their own username and password to access the modules," says Lloyd. "Learndirect has strong links to numeracy and literacy programmes."

Lloyd and Prynn have enlisted the help of teachers from a nearby employment agency and Knowsley Community College who put staff through their paces using a range of training formats. Some tutors use computers and some use more traditional lecture and flip-chart methods.

For Lloyd, this is just the tip of the iceberg. The training centre has so much more potential. "For some employees this has been about igniting their interest in learning, but we've had a really good response from people we sent questionnaires to with suggestions for courses."

There has been a healthy interest in learning languages such as German, Dutch and Spanish from people who work with colleagues employed by CSM Bakery Supplies Europe, BakeMark UK's owner, or customers across the Continent.

"I'd like to see us running other courses as well," says Lloyd. "There's a wealth of knowledge and experience in the business and I'd like to tap into some of that. For example, one gentleman who works for us is a qualified microbiologist, so he could provide some training in that area. There's a lot of things we can do in the future."

In addition, there's always the prospect of opening the facilities up to others outside BakeMark UK, he says. "Further down the line there's the possibility of other manufacturers in the local area taking advantage of it."

The bulk of the funding for the centre is coming from the company itself, so it has been vital to get the buy-in of the people at the top, says Lloyd.

His comments echo those of Marco Bertacca, vice-president, frozen and bakery products, CSM Bakery Supplies Europe. "Our people are the lifeblood of BakeMark UK and we have made this significant investment to help boost skills across the business," says Bertacca.

"At a time when the bakery industry is enjoying renewed growth, particularly in the healthy and speciality bread sectors, our strategic vision is to continue to lead the market in developing innovative products. We want to create a world leading organisation and investing in staff training and development is key to achieving that goal."

The great thing is that improved skills can obviously have a concrete, positive impact on profits and boost workforce morale and motivation, says Lloyd.

One employee who can testify to the benefits he has already enjoyed is food manufacturer Kevin Murray. "I've just gained a qualification in literacy and I am already studying for the next level," he says. "I feel that BakeMark UK is taking an interest in helping and supporting my progression."

Murray's comment is one of the best endorsements for the scheme, demonstrating that BakeMark's project is far from half-baked. Given the skills gap that needs to be plugged in the food processing sector, the future of the industry must substantially depend upon a similar commitment from a large number of other suppliers. Let all in the food and drink sector take note. FM

interims in demand, but numbers dwindle

Interim managers in the food industry continue to grow in importance, according to industry recruitment specialist Albemarle.

Chris Bernard, head of operations at the firm says there's high demand for such people in the north and west Midlands and opportunities are rife in London, south east England and the West Country.

The trend will be towards a fuller use of interims in food and drink businesses, particularly in project management, says Bernard. "New products, markets, legislation, consumer habits and lifestyles will continue to drive the interim resource. These people bring a high level of expertise and can be highly cost effective."

In tandem with this, Roland Froebel, technical advisor to the international food industry and interim troubleshooter, says the pool of good permanent workers is diminishing. "I used to have a choice of three permanents I could employ even five years ago. Now I'm literally down to one who will stand out. I don't have those shortlists any more."

Froebel says many companies he has worked for have used large numbers of interim employees. "There were several interims when I was working for S&A Foods (one of my most recent posts) in operations and logistics. At one point in time the majority of the key roles in the company were held by interims."

Now, even the pool for good interims is becoming stagnant, says Bernard. "There's a dwindling source of people. There's not enough people coming in to the business."

Froebel says: "What horrified me recently was when I asked how many students had signed up to Nottingham University's food science course, one of the most prestigious courses of its kind in the UK, I was told eight. Numbers are often made up by Chinese or Asian students, who take the learning and return to their native country."

Two key advantages of an interim manager for an employer is that they bring a critical objectivity to the role. "Clients tend to see them as a lot more objective," says Bernard. Froebel adds: "I gave people different perspectives on problems, perspectives you would not get from a permanent member of staff. I wasn't afraid to say what I thought." That's often exactly what's needed, as many interims are recruited to handle crisis situations.

From the viewpoint of the interim themselves, one of the biggest advantages of the lifestyle is that it offers a huge amount of experience very quickly. "If I was in a permanent job it would take me 20 years to gain the experience I've gained in 10. I've gone from pet food to selling flour to ready meals. Another clear difference is that you get away from the politics of business."