Morrisons has been named the grocery industry leader for both Employability and for Enhancing Livelihoods by the industry body, the IGD.
The supermarket won the IGD Industry Award for Employability for its Our Club initiative and the IGD Industry Award for Enhancing Livelihoods for its school education and horticulture programme, Let’s Grow.
Morrisons Our Club is a six-week programme designed to help young unemployed people get back into work. Through the Coaching Centre for Excellence, Our Club employs the techniques used in sports coaching to help give people the skills and confidence they need to start building their future career. This is done through a combination of sports based team work, as well as providing work skills training and job placement opportunities.
The IGD Judges said: “Our Club is a real example of how a business is taking ownership and tackling youth unemployment head on. This programme is inspirational and innovative and is transforming young people’s ways of thinking and self worth.”
Paul Dowd, Head of Employability and Education at Morrisons, said: “Our Club is a pioneering programme, held at famous sporting venues such as The Oval, that we believe is different and more engaging than existing pre-employment training. Our aspiration is that the candidates’ new found confidence and skills will impress employers so much that opportunities for permanent employment are made available.”
Let’s Grow, the supermarket’s school education and horticulture programme, was named the winner of the IGD Industry Award for Enhancing Livelihoods. Launched in 2008, Let’s Grow has seen Morrisons give 28,000 schools access to gardening equipment and seeds worth over £14m to help educate children firsthand about where their fruit and vegetables come from and provide information on healthy eating.
Guy Mason, Head of Corporate Affairs at Morrisons, said: “Through Let’s Grow we can provide schools with teaching resources and activities that will help them to bring lessons to life as they educate children on topics such as the environment and sustainability, which will positively affect their behaviour in later life.”
In picking up these prestigious titles, Morrisons beat off competition from other giants of the grocery industry including Mars, Nestle and The Co-operative Group.
Martyn Jones, Morrisons Group Corporate Services Director, said: “We want Morrisons to be at the heart of the community. Through Our Club and Let’s Grow, we are making a positive difference in the communities in which we serve and these awards show we are delivering more of what matters locally for our customers and their children.”
Published 10/10/2013