Home > News > June 2004 > 11-Jun-2004

IGD hunts for excellence in people development

IGD, a research, information and education provider for the food and grocery industry, is looking for the best examples of commitment to people development and learning to receive The John Sainsbury Award, part of the 2004 Food Industry Awards.

Sponsored by Sainsbury's, The John Sainsbury Award for Learning and Development rewards real commitment to people development. Last year’s winner was S&A Foods for their Learning Centre and Learning Partnerships concepts. The company wanted to promote a learning culture with personal development and work-based learning. After surveying the needs of its multi-cultural, predominantly female workforce it discovered the key skill gaps were in IT training, English as a second language and interpersonal skills.

It was decided that the best approach was a learning centre, available and accessible to all employees, with the appointment of a multi-lingual learning manager. The result is a fully equipped, state-of-the-art learning centre on the S&A site. Around 250 employees enrolled during the first fortnight and many have now gained nationally recognised qualifications.

HR Development Manager Lisa Fitzsimons said "We are extremely proud of our achievements in the field of learning and development and having them recognised by IGD was the icing on the cake. The impact of winning the award has been tremendous."

The following awards are also up for grabs:

• The ECR UK Award for On-Shelf Availability
• The Ian MacLaurin Award for Supply Chain Excellence, Sponsored by Tesco
• The Nestlé Award for Social Commitment, Sponsored by Nestlé
• The Sir Alistair Grant Award for Outstanding Small Business, Sponsored by Safeway
• The Unilever Award, Sponsored by Unilever
• The Young Managers’ Business Challenge, Sponsored by Tate & Lyle
• The IGD Business Education Awards

For more information on the John Sainsbury Award visit IGD's website www.igd.com/awards or phone 01923 857141. The closing date for entries is Friday 16th July. The winner will be announced at the Food Industry Awards ceremony on Tuesday 19th October at the Royal Lancaster Hotel, London.

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