From basic technical skills to foundation degrees for general managers – Fuller’s new approach to learning and development offers something for all
Fuller’s, the premium pub and hotel operator, has repositioned and relaunched its learning and development offer with a suite of materials, training courses and online learning to provide an unparalleled level of staff development.
Under the banner Designed for Life, the new programmes are aimed at all levels of front of house employees and kitchen team members, where courses support the ongoing Chefs’ Guild scheme.
Courses are split into two distinct areas. The first focuses on technical skills around safety, retailing and kitchen craft with courses including Emergency First Aid, Master Cellarman, Kitchen Cross Training and Award for Personal Licence Holders.
The second area focuses on mastering management, creating a pathway for team members at any stage in their Fuller’s journey to hone their leadership skills, broaden their knowledge and further their careers. Subjects covered include leadership, sales, people and mental health with courses such as Five Star Impact, Leading the Perfect Shift, People Matters and Head Chef Leadership Scholarship.
In addition to the new courses, the Company has also launched a Level Five apprenticeship – the Leadership Exploration Apprenticeship Programme (LEAP), which is aimed at general managers who want to take on a more complex business or move into an operations or head office management role.
The 18-month LEAP course delivers a qualification that is comparable to a foundation degree and involves five two-day workshops held at The Manufacturing and Technology Centre in Coventry, as well as one to one coaching and further one day workshops in London. It consists of nine modules covering subjects including Project Management, Leading Leaders, Financial Management and Influencing and Communication.
For Operations Managers, a new range of courses and training is on offer focusing on direction and vision, focus and impact. This is supported by bite-sized workshops, a range of blended learning including face-to-face development with industry experts and thought leaders, online webinars and a two-day residential course at the Success Factory in Chester.
Finally, for employees throughout the company – in pubs and head office – there are over 50 online courses on offer. These can be accessed through the Company’s FUSE platform – a mobile-optimised digital platform that is accessible to all Fuller’s employees from frontline team member to Chief Executive.
The courses available straddle a huge range of topics aimed at supporting personal and professional development and include Presentation Skills, Time Management, Zest for Life, Social Media, Strategic Thinking, Writing Business English and Mindfulness.
People Director, David Hoyle, said, “This is an industry-leading training and development offer – not just in our sector, but across the board. Mark Peters and the L&D team have created a range of courses that allows learning to be personalised to the individual student and it shows a true pathway to growing as a person and as a valued member of the Fuller’s Team.
“I’m particularly proud of the LEAP initiative. Our existing Apprenticeship Programme is outstanding and we have been working with some amazing colleges and talented apprentices. It’s great to see the Apprenticeship Programme being rolled out to General Managers and it will help secure a clear succession plan throughout the Company.
“First class recruitment and a clear focus on retention are key to our long-term success. This suite of development tools ensures that once we have attracted the best people we can help them grow with us. It’s incredibly exciting.”