Training courses will boost skills at Allied Bakeries

Feb 16 2009 by Iain Laing, The Journal

THE baker of some of the nation's best-loved brands of bread has successfully put 60% of its Gateshead based dispatch department through a training programme to boost skills.

Allied Bakeries, which produces Kingsmill, Sunblest and Allinson brands, put members of its dispatch team, based at Team Valley, through a tailor-made on-site training programme, resulting in every member of the team achieving a relevant NVQ level 2.

The training was delivered through the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) North East’s Train to Gain service and has ensured all employees are up to date on the latest procedures in dispatch, including safety and security in the workplace along with receiving, loading and dispatching goods.

The qualification was taken on site and so caused very little disruption to the running of the factory.

Company logistics manager Alan Davies said: “The dispatch department is one of the most important at the plant as it ensures that bread is delivered to outlets across the region on time and as fresh as can be. Even the smallest disruption can cause chaos, so I was really impressed that employees continued to go about their daily tasks. This was of huge benefit to us as an employer as it meant that training has no negative impact on our productivity at all.

“The training our employees received was excellent and the team has benefited greatly from standardised processes and having their existing knowledge reaffirmed.

“I am hopeful that the training will result in a real improvement in productivity over the coming months.”

Allied Bakeries North East production site bakes more than 100,000 loaves of bread per day for distribution to shops across the region.