On 13 November, Bournemouth West MP Conor Burns paid a visit to the Sainsbury’s in Talbot Heath to shadow shop staff and hear more about the retailer’s 20x20 Sustainability Plan for its staff.
Conor was able to experience life on the shop floor, helping staff behind the food counter to prepare Christmas-themed pizzas. While there, he heard from Sainsbury’s staff about the investment being made in their skills and training.
As part of its 20x20 Sustainability Plan, Sainsbury’s aims for half of its staff to receive externally-accredited training by 2020. To date, over 22,000 members of staff working on the meat, fish, bakery and hot food counters have attended training at one of seven colleges which have been independently accredited by City & Guilds.
In recognition of Sainsbury’s investment in its staff, it is also the first ever food retailer to receive a gold accreditation from Investors in People.
Commenting, Conor Burns said: “Joining Sainsbury’s staff on the other side of the counter was a very interesting experience, and decorating Christmas-themed pizzas was great fun. However, the visit had a serious point, which was to show the effort that Sainsbury’s is going to in order to invest in its staff. The aim to have half their staff externally accredited by 2020 is laudable, and will help those people to secure the skills they need to keep providing for themselves and their families long into the future.”