Fletchers in Sheffield has been producing bakery products since 1895 and employs over 300 people. The Bakers, Food and Allied Workers Union have been supporting learning at the site for some time, and it has helped workers build their careers at the bakery.

Mick Neville and Alan Oakes are two BFAWU members who have grabbed the opportunities offered by the union to build their skills, and they are now using their experience and training to help others.

Mick has worked at Fletchers Bakery from being 16 years old and now with 32 years’ continuous service at Fletchers. Mick currently works as the company site trainer.

Mick became involved with the BFAWU trade union education programmes, firstly under the role of a health and safety representative and then as a union learner representative, attending training courses at Northern College.

The BFAWU trade union education programme has enabled Mick to progress his career at Fletchers.

Mick said:

By attending trade union courses that were provided to me free of charge as a BFAWU union member has undoubtedly assisted me in my role as site trainer at Fletchers.”

I have gained so much knowledge from these courses around workplace health and safety legislation and the educational needs and requirements of our employees. The knowledge I have gained now allows me to train our employees in a manner that enables and assists them in carrying out their daily roles in an efficient and confident way.”

Alan has also worked at Fletchers for a number of years, working his way up from a basic operative into the role of Learning and Development Advisor for the Finsbury group of bakeries.

Alan, who was also a shop steward, explained how the union’s Learning Services project, supported by the Union Learning Fund, had helped him climb up the careers ladder. Alan said:

A position became available in the training department, which I applied for and was successful.”

This was down to the education that I received through the trade union, had I not completed the TU development, I firmly believe that I would not be in the position that I am today as Learning and Development Advisor.”

Alan is now looking forward to working with the BFAWU learning services team to support workers.

One workplace initiative at Fletchers saw Mick and Alan receive an award from Sarah Brown at Downing Street for reintroducing employees back into reading.

As part of The Reading Agencies Six Book Challenge initiative resulted in over ninety employees at Fletchers, some of which hadn’t read a book in years, taking part in reading six books over a couple of months.

Mick summed up the importance of union learning saying:

Education is a gift that will never leave you, knowledge is a skill you should always share.”