Coles Nurseries Home Log In Request a catalogue Home Who We Are What We Grow News Downloads Contact Us NEWS Home News Coles Win Grower of the Year Award! 4TH MARCH 2014 | COLES WIN GROWER OF THE YEAR AWARD! Coles Nurseries have been succesful at the 2014 Grower of the Year Awards, winning the Best Training Initiative category for our bespoke internal staff training programme. The modular programme, administered by our own site managers and assessed by a dedicated team of in-house assessors, has been running since 2010 for all production staff involved in propagation, retail or production of field grown and containerised trees and shrubs. The modules cover all elements of; - Plant handling, knowledge and production. - Pest and disease management. - Machinery maintenance. There are three possible levels of attainment, which are linked to the company’s pay structure; - Nurseryman - Craftsman - Senior Craftsman All members of the production team should gain Nurseryman status within 12-18 months of commencing employment. Most Nurserymen will then advance to Craftsmen status within an additional 24 months, with the rank of Senior Craftsman being achieved by longer serving, experienced members of staff. Coles also offer staff the chance to partake in exchange programmes; visiting other Nurseries in both the UK and further afield, to gain knowledge, experience and skills, which help to develop both the individual and the company. Staff Retention- Through this development process and continually promoting staff from within, school leavers have advanced into nurserymen, site managers and even company directors. This has empowered the work force and ensures a high level of staff retention; over 50% of staff have been employed for over 10 years, 20% for over 20 years and 10% for over 30 years. Boosting Skills and Knowledge- The improvements in staff morale, responsibility, skill-sharing, knowledge and management confidence continues to be visible across all disciplines, and this has enabled the company to continue to develop production methods, management and personnel development. The Company has been asked to present at external forums, and at least one other company will be using this successful model as the basis of their own programme within their organisation. Coles are currently in the process of gaining full accreditation for the training model, meaning that the company will soon be able to train candidates from other organisations, on Nursery sites, using the same system. Over 70% of staff have said that they believe accreditation to be of more importance than linking the modules to the Company’s pay structure. Back to News LATEST NEWS TRAINING IN THE NATIONAL PLANT SPECIFICATION 17th April 2014 Accredited training courses for the NPS will be running on Thursday 29th May and Tuesday 18th June. Continue reading » COLES WIN GROWER OF THE YEAR AWARD! 4th March 2014 The Best Training Initiative category was awarded to Coles at this years Grower of the Year Awards! Continue reading » LOOK FOR PLANTS A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Home Latest News Terms of Business Privacy Policy Contact Us Copyright ©MMX Coles Nurseries Limited. Company Registration Number 1330804. Web design by Eazytiger. Twitter Profile Facebook Profile