The Federation of Wholesale Distributors has relaunched its upskilling and development bursary with £500 in additional funding this year.
Formerly called Fellowship Fund, the bursary has now been rebranded as ‘Wholesale Futures’ to reflect the organisation’s investment in preparing its people for a successful future.
The bursary will offer a maximum of £3,000 (up from £2,500 last year) in matched funding that food and drink wholesalers can use to fund skills training and professional development opportunities for their employees.
It also gives funding up to £15,000 for company-wide training opportunities.
The funding can be used towards a variety of arrangements, including degrees and online courses, and gives wholesalers a “cost-effective solution to upskill employees”.
“Our goal is to encourage people to enter the industry and train them for the future,” said FWD chief executive James Bielby.
“It’s a great way to nurture and retain employees, as they are given the tools to help them succeed. Wholesale Futures is about individual development and personal growth, which is why it’s fitting to launch it at Diversity in Wholesale 2024.”
The bursary has supported employees across wholesale businesses with additional training outside their role since it was first launched in 1964. Today, its trustees are the FWD, Spar, and Booker.
“At Booker we’re passionate about supporting our colleagues and giving them the tools they need to get on”, said Booker group people director Rebecca Mallows.
“Wholesale Futures is a great way for colleagues within the industry to access the training they need for future success, and supports businesses in fostering, recognising and retaining talent.”
Businesses that participated in the past include Savona Foodservice, whose HR manager Gill Parjs described the funding as a ”boost to the learning and development budget”, and JJ Foodservice, whose head of HR Joanna Florczak said the programme is not just for new starters but for “anyone in the business looking for training”.
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