Operations Manual Operations Training for Natural Food Retail Cooperatives Training for natural food retail cooperatives received a major boost when the NCB Development Corporation recently awarded Prof. Ann Hoyt a grant for thedevelopment ofoperations training materials. These training materials will be based upon training materials for the member retail stores of the Co-op Atlantic cooperative distribution system in Moncton, New Brunswick .
Management is also convinced the program has contributed to a reduction in staff turnover.
The program is a partnership among the UWCC, the NCB Development Corporation, natural foods wholesalers, and natural foods retail cooperatives. As part of the pre-proposal project last summer, UWCC conducted a survey of over 300 retail food cooperatives to discover current methods of providingoperations training, current sources of operations training materials, and most criticalemployee training needs. Cooperatives were also asked which retails are models of bestpractices in operations training. These cooperatives are being asked to participate on theadvisory committee whose role is to assure that best operations practices are integratedinto the new training materials.