The award-winning Village Bakery is reaping the rewards of its policy of growing its own skilled workers.
The Wrexham-based company, which has a workforce of 320 and is proudly celebrating its 80thbirthday as a craft bakery this year, has won a place in the final of this year’s prestigious Vocational Qualification (VQ) Awards in Wales.
The family-run Village Bakery is one of three finalists in the running to become VQ Employer of the Year at the showpiece awards ceremony on June 4, VQ Day, at Coleg y Cymoedd, Nantgarw.
VQ Day is a national celebration of people who have achieved success in vocational education in Wales.
The Village Bakery is an enthusiastic advocate of vocational study in the form of apprenticeships and continued professional development.
The company, winner of the Fast Growth 50 award last year after recording 1,500 per cent growth, offers apprenticeships in bakery, engineering and accountancy and supports Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) and Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) professional development. Training is delivered by Coleg Cambria, Glyndŵr University or MOL.
Last year’s intake of learners increased fourfold to 16 to keep pace with the growth of the business, which supplies bread, rolls, pies and morning goods to customers across the country and even exports some products to Europe.
Nowadays, companies are often encouraged to “think outside the box”, so that’s what The Village Bakery did when recruiting engineering apprentices. Out went nerve-racking panel interviews and in came Meccano aeroplanes and presentations to showcase the candidates’ work.
The new interview technique brought out the best in the candidates and a planned intake of one apprentice increased to two. Their parents were invited to meet staff and tour the bakery and the apprentices’ progression has been described as “exceptional”.
“A highly skilled workforce future-proofs any organisation and allows it to plan successfully for succession,” said Sam Gregory, The Village Bakery’s HR Manager. “Organisations are continually changing to remain competitive in a more ferocious global economy and the bakery is no different.
“Developing your own staff makes commercial sense, as higher skills bring greater knowledge and in turn higher productivity and increased profits, while lowering absenteeism and extending the length of service through employee loyalty.”
The other companies competing for the VQ Employer of the Year Award are Hengoed Court care home, Swansea and domiciliary care provider Trusting Hands, Ebbw Vale.
The six VQ Learner of the Year finalists are Matthew Edwards, an apprentice butcher with S. A. Vaughan Family Butchers, Penyffordd, near Chester who was nominated by Cambrian Training Company, Ashleigh Zeta Jones and chef Rhys Sinfield who were both nominated by Bridgend College, Ebbi Ferguson who was nominated by Coleg Sir Gâr, Llanelli, Corey Nixon nominated by Gower College Swansea and St Clears nursery owner Emma Thomas who was nominated by City and County of Swansea Lifelong Learning and Employment Training Service.
VQ Day supports the aspiration that vocational qualifications, which are not just for young people, should achieve parity of esteem alongside other educational routes.
Learning providers across Wales are being encouraged to organise regional events to celebrate VQ Day and engage with learners of all ages. VQ Day and the VQ Awards are co-ordinated in Wales by ColegauCymru and the National Training Federation for Wales (NTfW) with the support of the Welsh Government and part funded by the European Social Fund.
Wales’ Deputy Minister for Skills and Technology, Ken Skates, wished the nine finalists success on June 4. “Vocational Qualifications are the gold standard in professional excellence and we must ensure they are recognised alongside academic qualifications for their value to learners and the Welsh economy.
“Wales has a real wealth of talented and committed people who have excelled in their vocational studies and VQ Day is a chance for us to celebrate their achievements. A VQ award is more than just an award; it’s a symbol of dedication towards your chosen profession.
“It’s also equally important that we recognise the role of employers in promoting vocational qualifications in the workplace. Their support and commitment will be vital if we are to achieve our ambition of creating a more highly-skilled Wales.”
