McVitie’s Cake Company is a snack food brand
owned by United Biscuits. The name derives from the original
Scottish biscuit maker, McVitie & Price, LTD, established in
1830 in Edinburgh. The Halifax factory was formally Riley’s
Toffee Works and dates back to 1911; purchased by United
Biscuits/McVitie’s in 1998.
McVitie’s is one of the important
manufacturing sites in the borough of Calderdale, West Yorkshire.
The area is multicultural with a vibrant South Asian community,
mainly Pakistani Muslims from the Azard Kashmir region.
There is high Unite union density in the
factory, with a well organised and structured branch committee who
represent the 350 employees at McVitie’s Halifax.
In late 2008 I was approached by the senior
workplace rep at McVitie's to discuss developing a learning
programme at the factory. Since this initial meeting a lot of
hard work, many meetings and a number of frustrating moments and
setbacks saw on the 26th April 2010 the signing of a
learning agreement which incorporated paid time off for skills for
life courses.
Over the period since the signing of the
learning agreement a lot of effort has gone in to developing a
strategic approach to developing a learning and training culture at
McVitie’s. A steering group was set up which is
attended by the Union Learning Representatives, Senior Workplace
Representative, Company Training Co-ordinator and Human Resource
manager, and where appropriate other stake holders to jointly
develop, implement and monitor work-based learning initiatives.
At our first Steering group it was agreed that
our first objective would be to ensure that all employees at
McVitie’s would have the opportunity to gain the important
foundations skills of literacy, numeracy and language. They would
also have the opportunity to progress and take NVQs. Pam
Stringer the Unite Regional Learning Organiser was given the task
to source providers and quality provision and seek available
funding.
It was decided that Unite Regional Learning
Organisers (support) would deliver the skills for life provision
using Learndirect as a resource which means learning can be
accessed on-line. However, weekly tutor led workshops are
also available and the students are given 3-hours per week paid
release to attend. To date 20 students have completed
literacy and numeracy qualifications. Angela Vivers our lead
ULR at McVitie's said, “People are very keen to learn – we have a
waiting list of people wanting to get on the course, you can see
that people on the course gain in confidence and improve their
ability in the workplace”.
While some employers are still resistant to
the idea of training this is not the case at McVitie’s. Every
employee has the opportunity to access either an NVQ level 2
in Business Improvement Techniques which is being delivered by
Gateshead College or NVQ in Food Manufacturing which is being
delivered by Newcastle under Lyme college - all supported by paid
release for learning.
Within the last two weeks the ULRs have
organised a basic ICT course for the employees at McVitie’s which
once again has a waiting list and in the New Year Unite Education
Department will be delivering a Health and Safety course.
However, it is not all about gaining
qualifications or developing job specific skills. In
May 2010 we held a learning at work day event which saw employees
at McVitie’s enjoying some informal learning sessions such as:
Health and well being, keep fit, Indian head massage and
photography. We saw adult learner’s week as an ideal
opportunity to celebrate success and to highlight informal learning
opportunities and to further establish the learning culture and
partnership between Unite the Union and McVitie’s through the
medium of creative engagement in education.
We have had a fantastic year at McVitie’s but
2011 looks like an even more exciting time for the ULRs and the
students as the new dedicated learning centre will be opened.
No more sharing training rooms and meeting rooms – a room just for
learning with ICT equipment and many other facilities – we
can’t wait!
