Good refresher on food safety for Peijnenburg

Food safety is a theme that needs to be refreshed regularly. Peijnenburg had the training arranged by Normec Training & Education. “Everyone enjoyed taking part in the training course”, says the HR advisor. “At the same time the subject matter was treated well. It brought back our edge.”

Peijnenburg regularly holds training courses on food safety. “The subject matter is always virtually the same. That is why we use different training methods each time”, says HR advisor Jacqueline Kroezen. “That makes everyone think again.”

Right tone

This spring, the Peijnenburg branch in Enkhuizen wanted to provide training for the technical service department, the HACCP team and the operators. The company engaged Normec Training & Education for this purpose. Kroezen: “We were very pleased with that. The training was interactive, and I felt that the trainer adapted well to the different levels of the groups. He chose the right tone for each group and encouraged everyone to participate. He presented the subject matter clearly and concisely, without much fuss. That suits us.”

Open discussion

The participants rated the training with an 8.3. The trainer received an 8.8. “The participants were particularly pleased that food safety was being discussed in an open manner”, he says.

“It is my job as a trainer to get everyone involved and to take an active part in the discussions and assignments. This has also been achieved in this case. That is why people look back on it with a good feeling.”

Humour

The HR advisor says that the trainer also had a lot of humour. “It was fun to follow the training sessions. For example, the operators were instructed to recite the alphabet and to name a word related to food safety for each letter. That became a competition in which groups competed against each other. The colleagues had fun together. At the same time the subject matter was treated well. It really was a refresher. The course was concluded with a test.”

Interaction

Trainer Roel Botden says that he finds interaction important in his training sessions. “That keeps people’s minds on the lessons. Moreover, employees together form a team. It is essential that they understand each other well.” He always talks to the company beforehand about the course, for example with the quality officer. During the preparations, he regularly takes photos on the work floor. He uses these during the training sessions. “The photos are a way to get the discussion going. Employees talk about things that go well and those that can be improved. This way the participants dot the i’s together.”