Graduation at Baxters Food Group

Picture of the graduates on graduation day at the Fochabers site, pictured with Catriona Sloan (far left) and Alastair Dickie (far right), of Polaris Learning Ltd.

Baxters Food Group, Fochabers and Polaris Learning Ltd are delighted to celebrate the success and graduation of candidates on the award winning Baxters Food Group training and development programme, ‘Talent for the Future’.

Now in its second successful year, the programme unites employees from shop floor to senior management providing a platform for nurturing talent and succession planning. The programme aims to retain employees and promote within the company to counter the existing challenges that the food manufacturing industry faces when attracting new recruits. The focus of the programme is to ensure an effective blend of learning to include both people and technical skills required for managers in the food industry.

After a rigorous selection process, the successful candidates worked towards full accreditation for an Institute of Leadership and Management Award as well as a Scottish Vocational qualification in Food and Drink Operations Level 3.  The programme which was part funded by Skills Development Scotland on their Modern Apprenticeship programme was delivered through a variety of workshops, in-house assessments and assignments.

Kirstian Findlay, UK HR Manager, Baxters Food Group explains “The 'Talent for the Future' programme is a great way to ensure all of our employees are equipped to deal with the day to day challenges faced in the intense and pressurised environment we work in. Implementing the practical and technical skills specific to the food industry allows us to ensure this happens. Our cross-company learning and senior leadership mentoring programme provides the best possible opportunities for our employees to develop”.

The year-long programme delivered by Polaris Learning Ltd in close partnership with Baxters saw twelve employees graduating, each with the opportunity to progress onto a higher level programme in 2017. Graduates covered several workshops over this period including communication, leadership and motivation, workplace coaching and monitoring quality and risk assessment. A graduation ceremony was held in the Grand Hall at the Fochabers site. Catriona Sloan, Managing Consultant, Polaris Learning said “It is fantastic to see how much both the individuals and the company continue to benefit from the learning experience.  It is a challenging programme and puts high demands on the candidates not only in enhancing their skills and knowledge but also in self-awareness. I am delighted that they have risen to that challenge and have gone above and beyond in enhancing their own development journey”.

The final assessment, which was presented to the Board of Directors, was a group leading change project designed to incorporate all of their learning and look at innovative ideas to improve areas within the business.

The programme is just the start of a variety of in-house training programmes being delivered throughout the company. It scooped The Tremendous Training & Development Award at the 2015 cHeRies Awards in recognition of its impact on the business.

Based on the success of the programme, Baxters Food Group will now be rolling out the ‘Talent for the Future’ programme across their global locations.