Workers train for Road to Freshness
IN AN effort to improve the skills of their employees and improve the quality of their produce, Shoprite is assisting 4 000 employees from the fresh food departments to complete an assistant chefs’ training course in partnership with the International Hotel School.
The employees will take part in a Road to Freshness course to improve their skills and attain an NQF 2 qualification, which will see their telephone etiquette, food preparation and technical knife skills improve during the four-month course.
The retailer said the training programme will establish a clear career path for all those working in its bakeries, delis and fish departments.
“We want to offer our employees opportunities to grow their careers and continue climbing the culinary ladder within and outside our business.
“Everyone is rethinking their recipes and techniques, while also learning new ones.
“Upskilling our team will drive our business and the economy,” said spokesperson for the training programmes, Moga Pillay.
The first group of 157 employees began training in Gauteng at the International Hotel School, which Pillay said is already re-energising the fresh food departments. Lucretia Mathedimosa, a deli controller at Checkers Hyper Montana in Pretoria, said she believed the course was changing the direction of her career and would open doors.
“I am learning valuable skills during this training and I am excited to take it back to the store and use it to grow.
“I can’t wait to see customers reaction to my home-made mayonnaise,” said Mathedimosa.
Pillay said staff were rethinking their recipes and techniques and learning new ones, which he said would hopefully drive their business and consequently the economy.