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Thinking outside the bread box on skills at Success on Tour
From running its own language school for immigrant employees to using robotics in the factory - Fosters Bakery in Barnsley has developed a raft of imaginative and cost effective ways to train and develop their 250 employees.
Businesses can find out more about the company’s innovative approach to training and skills during the next Success on Tour business breakfast master class at Fosters Bakery, Towngate, Mapplewell, Barnsley on Friday, 26 February 2010.
Managing director John Foster will host the visit and tour of the factory to explain how the company recruits and motivates long term unemployed people, ex-offenders, apprentices and migrant labour and the learning points for other businesses that want to do the same.
Fosters are a family business of specialist bakers and confectioners, selling to well known names such as Pret a Manger, Starbucks and Asda, as well as to airlines, hotels and railway operators.
Baking to strict nutritional and packaging specifications and tight margins has meant that the business has always sought to harness local expertise and build skills partnerships with the community, despite the challenges of a recession.
John Foster said: “We work with our local college to encourage all employees to achieve NVQ qualifications and this has led to Barnsley College basing a manager at Fosters so that further education and industry are joined up in their thinking.
“We took the opportunity to work with Yorkshire Forward when they decided to build a bakery school at Lindholme Prison – there was a skills gap in baking in the region, but we are now benefitting from recruiting locally trained bakers.
“We have an onsite school for literacy, numeracy and English as a second language but as a business we also recognise the expertise in our universities. Through Knowledge Transfer Partnerships we have been able to radically modify our computer systems in the factory.”
Delegates at the visit will be able to meet and talk to employees from all parts of the organisation, from bakers to apprentice engineers.
Success on Tour events are hosted by the Regional Minister's Business Ambassadors who offer their experience to other businesses in the region and are funded by Yorkshire Forward.
Pre-booking is required. For full details and bookings go to www.successontour.com or call Sandy Welsh at Northern Lights PR on 01423 562 400
Rosie Winterton, The Minister for Yorkshire and The Humber, said:"Business will be inspired by the different ways a family business such as Foster's Bakery has continued to invest in the training and development of their staff. A skilled, engaged workforce is essential to the success and profitability of any organisation.
“The way the company has developed productive working relationships with universities and colleges and other agencies - including a prison, farmers and many key suppliers - means Fosters has a wealth of good advice to share with other Yorkshire businesses.”
Places for the final Success on Tour event on 19 March 2010 can also be booked at www.successontour.com and will focus on helping businesses adapt their marketing in a recession.
