IDDBA Launches Online Training Site for Retailers
Food retailers looking to help associates bone up on their know-how of in-store procedures will probably want to check out the new online training website launched by the International Dairy-Deli-Bakery Association.
IDDBA has launched training.iddba.org, aimed at supermarket dairy, deli, bakery and prepared foods associates. The site offers training in food safety, bakery and cheese in English and Spanish. Training is free and available any time on any digital device.
Maximizing Accessibility
The site delivers training through short videos accessed via smartphones, tablets, desktop computers and a host of other Internet-connected devices including some department scales. Each video is accompanied by a short assessment to test knowledge and retention.
A personalized certificate of recognition is available upon successful completion along with additional training resources available from IDDBA and other organizations. Associate tracking also makes record keeping easy. A simple account must be created before a certificate or a tracking record can be generated.
Helping People, Having Fun
“IDDBA wants to help ensure that all retail associates are equipped with the skills they need to provide shoppers with high quality, safe products,” said Mary Kay O’Connor, IDDBA's VP of education. “And, frankly, we also want to show associates how to have some fun while they’re helping people in their stores. Shoppers want to learn something. Good product knowledge engages customers and helps answer questions about where foods come from and how to prepare them. It also brings customers back. At virtually zero material cost, the return on investment is tremendous.”
To date, the training site offers 17 modules each in English and in Spanish. Content areas include cakes, breads, food safety and cheese. Additional customer service, deli sliced meats, bakery and dairy food safety modules are under construction.
Madison, Wis.-based IDDBA is a nonprofit membership organization serving the dairy, deli, bakery, cheese and supermarket foodservice industries.