Adult apprentices help Thorntons to bank £1m cost saving

The confectionery manufacturer has set up a staff development programme, which includes 17 adult apprentices training in Food Manufacturing Excellence (FME). Thorntons reports this has contributed to more than £1 million of savings from productivity improvements. The 12-month apprenticeship programme introduces shopfloor staff and managers to lean manufacturing techniques. The apprentices have all been trained by CQM Training and Consultancy and are due to complete their Level 3 apprenticeship at the end of March. Thorntons' operations director David Proctor said the company will back more adult apprenticeships: "A further 30 staff have come forward to express their interest in FME apprenticeships since hearing about the strong job satisfaction that the first group have enjoyed," he said. "We're pleased to support them – the payback from the business perspective has been very tangible in terms of both cost reduction and continuous improvement culture." Justine Fosh (pictured), director of the National Skills Academy for Food & Drink, said the Thorntons example illustrated the bottom line business benefits of the range of apprenticeship programmes now available. "The success demonstrated here with Food Manufacturing Excellence shows how effective apprenticeships can be in creating real commercial added value in everything from product development and innovation to production line operative skills." The Food and Drink Federation, supported by the National Skills Academy for Food and Drink, has pledged to double the number of apprentices in the industry in England and Scotland to 3,400 by the end of 2012. This week (6-10 February) is National Apprenticeship Week.