Verner Wheelock Associates Training Blog

December 2008

Our next BRC Issue 5 Update Course - Are you prepared for your next audit? will run on Monday 2nd February 2009.

This course will help you to prepare for your next BRC audit with confidence.  It will cover the following subjects.

Changes to the standard:

• Senior Management commitment
• HACCP definition
• Allergens
• Site security
• Other important changes

The course will also cover:

• Revision of product categories
• Different types of audits
• Grading systems and audit frequency

Previous delegates have found this course most useful in helping them to prepare them for their next BRC audit.  In particular, they found that the opportunity to discuss specific problems with the course tutor and other delegates during the afternoon ‘workshop’ sessions was invaluable.

See the VWA website for further details or to book
http://www.vwa.co.uk/courses/specialist/BRC-Issue5.htm

**Book before Dec 31st 2008 to be invoiced at 2008 price (£275+ VAT or £495 for 2)

Popularity: 28% [?]

December 2008

We are pleased to announce that we can now offer an online Level 2 Food Safety for MANUFACTURING.

This course is ideal for anyone working in a manufacturing or processing environment, small or large, could including food factories, meat cutting plants, dry goods and vegetable packing, dairies, breweries and bottling plants. At just £25 + VAT this course is excellent value for money and the flexible learning ensures that production lines are disrupted for the minimum amount of time.

The course covers the following subjects:

• Learning Objectives and an introduction to Food Safety and Hygiene – Food Safety and Hygiene are terms commonly used, here we will look at how they relate to food that has been processed or manufactured.
• Impact of Food-Borne Illness – looking at what food-bourne illnesses are and how they affect us.
• Understanding Food Law – food often has a long journey from growing, harvesting, delivery, preparation through to being eaten. As a result there are many opportunities for it to become contaminated. In this section we look at legislation in place that relates to food hygiene and safety.
• Food Safety Hazards and Contamination – exploring food safety hazards and how they arise and consider how they can be prevented and controlled.
• Food Preservation, Storage and Temperature Control - how to manufacture and preserve food, including appropriate storage and temperature controls.
• Personal Hygiene – this section looks at why personal hygiene is so important when working with food – covering hand washing, health, first aid. protective clothing and appearance.
• Hygienic Premises and Equipment – this section looks at good housekeeping and the part premises and equipment design play in maintaining clean, pest-free conditions.
• Hazards Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) - it is a requirement of regulations that all businesses implement and maintain a documented Food Safety Management system based on HACCP.

Contact Helen Moore on 01756 700802 or email helen.moore@vwa.co.uk for further information on the new MANUFACTURING course, or the existing online food safety for caterers.

Popularity: 25% [?]

December 2008

Verner Wheelock Associates was nominated as a finalist in two categories at the recent Society of Food Hygiene and Technology (SOFHT) 2008 Awards. The company was a finalist in the ‘Best Training Company’ section and Nutrition Traner, Jo Alcock made the final for the ‘Best Trainer’ award. The SOFHT Awards recognise and celebrate excellence within the food industry and its associated industries.

Judged by a panel of experienced food industry professionals from the Society’ s membership. The winners were announced at the industry’ s prestigious SOFHT Luncheon, held on Thursday 20 November 2008 at the Millennium Hotel London Mayfair, Grosvenor Square, London.

From left: Verner, Alison and Jan Wheelock, Jo Alcock

Popularity: 24% [?]

November 2008

As everyone tightens their belts to cope with the ‘credit crunch’ we can at least be thankful that everyone still needs food! Let’s hope the food and drink industry will weather the storm.

In 2009, VWA training fees will unavoidably be increasing to cover rising costs. However, if you book on any VWA course in Skipton before 31st December 2008 you will only be charged at current 2008 rates.

This means that by planning ahead you can actually save money!

Visit each course page to see 2008 prices - and remember you can now book and pay online by credit card or Paypal.

• HACCP
• Auditing
• Food Safety
• Nutrition
• Specialist Courses

Contact Helen Moore on 01756 700802 for further details or email helen.moore@vwa.co.uk

Popularity: 52% [?]

October 2008

According to a recent issue of New Business magazine, failing to offer staff training during a recession could leave companies ill-equipped to cope and facing the loss of key personnel.

Cutting back on training and staff development is a false economy that will cost businesses dear, senior executives and HR directors from leading businesses have warned.

The warning came at an event organised by international leadership development organisation Common Purpose and followed a study by the same company which found that almost half of training and development professionals were expecting a budget cut of 20% or more.

Over half of respondents to the ‘Taming The Wolf’ report felt that the short-term benefit of saving money by not investing in training would have long-term negative consequences, with most professionals concerned that this could lead to the loss of key staff at a time when their expertise is most needed.

The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development warned that slashing training budgets could have an adverse effect on companies’ ability to survive the current economic climate.

“With a recession now seemingly unavoidable, organisations will be keener than ever to cut costs,” said John Philpott, chief economist. “But organisations should avoid short-term measures that do long-term harm. When times are tough, it is always tempting to trim training budgets. Yet evidence and experience shows that this is a false economy.

The following advice was offered to those responsible for staff development during the downturn:

• Show commitment to and reward those people who you wish to retain. It will keep morale and productivity high
• Keep learning and development top of the agenda; it could make all the difference between surviving and thriving later on

For more advice on training, visit the HR manager’s page on the VWA website http://www.vwa.co.uk/hr.htm

Popularity: 50% [?]

October 2008

The Royal Society of Health (RSH) and the Royal Institute of Public Health (RIPH) have merged to form a new organisation that will be known as the Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH).

This means that there will inevitably be some changes to the RIPH Food Safety, HACCP and Nutrition courses offered by Verner Wheelock Associates.

Some of the RIPH qualifications as we know them will gradually be phased out and will be replaced by new qualifications.  Others will stay almost the same but will be re-branded as RSPH qualifications.  The format of some of the assessment methods may also change.

During this cross-over period we will continue to offer all our existing courses and we will inform all our clients of any changes to syllabi or course content.

Please do not hesitate to contact us if you require further information about any of our courses and qualifications.  Contact Helen Moore on 01756 700802 or helen.moore@vwa.co.uk.

Visit www.rsph.org for further information on RSPH qualifications.

Popularity: 46% [?]

October 2008

Well done to our Business Development Manager, Helen Moore, who completed a 5k run in Bradford in aid of the British Heart Foundation on Sunday 5th October 2008.

Helen has raised over £260 ponds so far and ran the race in memory of her dad and in support of husband who has suffered angina and heart attacks but is still here! Many thanks to delegates from recent courses at VWA for sponsoring her.

Helen completed the 5k in 36 minutes, just outside her 30 minute target.  Keep training Helen - we expect you to complete the Great North Run in 2009!!!

Helen at the finish line with a Bradford Bull!

Popularity: 57% [?]

October 2008

Three candidates trained by Verner Wheelock Associates (VWA) have won prestigious awards for excellence at the Royal Institute of Public Health (RIPH). The prizes were presented at an awards ceremony at the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists in London, on 23rd September 2008. 

The three prizewinners were:

Janet Harding of North Yorkshire County Caterers who won the prize for the best student on the Certificate in Nutrition & Health course;

Jo Knight from Derbyshire Healthy Schools Programme who was the winner of the prize for Level 4 Award in Managing Food Safety in Catering;

Chris Robinson of Gibson’s Foods in Ellesmere Port who won the prize for the top student in the Advanced Certificate in Applied HACCP Principles.

“These awards illustrate that our candidates are achieving excellent results in both nutrition and food safety,” said Dr Verner Wheelock, who established the company in 1990.  “We train delegates from a range of backgrounds including, catering, food manufacturing and health promotion in both public and private sectors, and it’s good to see a cross-section of our clients reflected in these awards.

Winner of the prize for Certificate in Nutrition & Health, Janet Harding (left) with course tutor, Jo Alcock.

All the prizewinners attended courses at VWA’s training facility at Broughton Hall Business Park near Skipton during 2007.

Popularity: 89% [?]

September 2008

Verner Wheelock Associates is launching a unique new course on flavourings this week. Creating Savoury Flavours, A Guide to the Science and Technology of Savoury Flavours, has been organised by VWA along with course tutors Dr David Baines and Richard Seal.

 
Dr David Baines
BA MSc PhD CChem
FRSC FIFST FRSH

The course will cover both theoretical and practical aspects of savoury flavour creation, with lectures being followed by daily lab sessions, and aims to provide delegates with the following:

• Comprehensive knowledge of savoury flavours
• Practical experience of compounding flavours, undertaking reaction flavours and using meat topnote chemicals
• An understanding of savoury markets
• An understanding of legislation affecting savoury flavours on a global basis with special emphasis on the EU and USA market
• Application of savoury flavours in a range of food products

Savoury Flavours course delegates and tutors

The delegates who have travelled from Vietnam, South Africa, Malaysia and Holland as well as the UK are also attending evening events with a ‘flavours’ theme including a wine tasting evening at the Tempest Arms and a curry night at the Aagrah in the ‘curry capital’ of Bradford.

Broughton Hall

The lectures are being conducted in the idyllic setting of the Broughton Hall Estate with lab sessions taking place at the equally impressive Malsis School, just a 15 minute drive away from Broughton, through the breathtaking scenery of the Yorkshire Dales.

Lab session

Popularity: 76% [?]

August 2008

Over the past year, VWA has trained over 70 delegates in Intermediate HACCP on our HACCP – ‘Making it Work’ course.

Of those who achieved the RIPH Intermediate Certificate in Applied HACCP Principles, almost a third of delegates achieved an Honours pass, with nearly 40% achieving a Credit.  The total pass rate for the year was a fantastic 96%.

The course is run over two consecutive days with a two-hour RIPH examination taken at the end of Day 2.  VWA run four or five open courses in Skipton every year, or can arrange in-house courses at dates and venues to suit clients around the UK.

Included in these successes were delegates from in-house courses for HJ Heinz, Speedibake, SFMTA, MBMG and Tameside Borough Council.

Barbara Hulme, Service Unit Manager for school meals at Tameside BC was delighted with her team’s results – of the six delegates taking the course, three (including Barbara herself) achieved Honours, one was awarded a Credit and two attained a Pass.

Candidates from a wide range of companies including United Biscuits, Food Design Ltd, Betty’s & Taylor’s, Cranswick plc, Ribby Hall Village, Trilogy Foods, Sainsbury’s, Warburton’s and Wensleydale Dairies attended our open courses in Skipton.

Well done Louise and Helen!

Louise Coggrave from local cheese manufacturer, Wensleydale Dairies scored highly to achieve Honours and her colleague Helen Maguire was awarded a Credit.

The trainer for the majority of these courses was Peter Clarke, with Ruth Bell leading the in-house course at HJ Heinz.

Here are a few comments from delegates:

“I found the course stimulating and highly valued within my current position as Factory Technical Manager.”

“I thought the course was well planned, well delivered and covered exactly what I needed.”

“Now we can’t wait to review our HACCP to put into practice what we have learnt!”

Popularity: 100% [?]