Shropshire food firm puts English on its menu
A food company that makes quiches and tarts for Aldi and Lidl has launched a partnership with a local college to help its influx of Eastern European workers learn English.
Edgmond Foods in Newport has expanded rapidly over the last couple of years, helped by increasing numbers of shoppers turning to the budget supermarket chains.
That has led to the company growing its workforce, and it has seen a number of skilled Eastern European workers joining its staff.
Edgmond is now in the process of expanding its operation into a second premises beside its current Audley Avenue home, which will see its full-time staff of 55 continue to grow in line with its booming sales.
After appointing another Shropshire business, Wellington's Ethero Staffing, to help with its recruitment drive, it has now partnered with Telford College of Arts and Technology to ensure its staff are all speaking the same language.
General manager Bruce Webb said: "
Having been here a long time we have a good proportion of local Newport people who have been with us for 10 to 15 years or more, but at the same time we have introduced highly skilled labourers from Eastern Europe.
"We have done everything over the last two years to provide an inclusive culture at the factory. We are a small site so the emphasis is very much on teamwork. All our efforts really have been to create that feeling of teamwork and training in English is a key part of that."
Including staff indirectly employed through Ethero, the company has around 30 people on the courses at the moment.
Gareth Hughes, from Ethero, added: "
The training is completely free to the workers, and at the end of it they will be awarded with a formal City & Guilds qualification in Workplace English Communication."
