2 Sisters and Campden BRI to create academy

05-Sep-2013 - Last updated on 06-Sep-2013 at 09:24 GMT

2 Sisters is teaming up with Campden BRI to boost its technical training programme

2 Sisters Food Group (2SFG) is expanding its technical training regime by partnering with research organisation Campden BRI and creating a training and development hub at its Birmingham headquarters.

The 2 Sisters Food Group Technical Academy, in conjunction with Campden BRI, aims to enhance the skills of the Group’s technical team, giving staff clear and consistent quality standards and frameworks while enabling them to grow and develop their careers.

Jenni Chambers, head of talent at 2SFG, told our sister title Food Manufacture the firm had created a “technical skills and competency assessment tool” for staff to identify any training needs in their development plans.

“We have also employed a technical learning and development manager who will use these development plans to ensure we develop training programmes, which will ensure we deliver appropriate training to our employees,” she added.

“The courses will range from internally delivered short courses to externally delivered qualification-based programmes – these will be available to colleagues at all levels within the technical function.”

‘Key areas’

Campden BRI will deliver the academy's external technical training modules on key skills areas such as quality assurance, food safety and legal requirements at its Chipping Campden site.

Bertrand Emond, Campden BRI's head of training, added: “We are delighted to be working with 2SFG to not only raise the bar by providing the best training and technical career development in the industry but create a quality benchmark for technical managers the world over.”

The longer-term aim is to base the academy at 2SFG's Birmingham base as part of a wider training hub.

‘Wide range’

“This will enable us to facilitate learning and development opportunities and make a wide range of activities available to colleagues from across the group,” added Chambers,

2SFG has 54 sites across the UK, Ireland, Holland and Poland and employs around 24,000 people.

The company's technical director Neil Khandke said the training developments were essential for the business to attract good people and encourage them to further develop their skills.

Meanwhile, FoodManufacture.co.uk's publisher – William Reed Business Media – offers a range of e-learning food safety and health and safety courses. More details are available here.