News
Earning and Learning at Nampak
5th March 2008
A joint initiative by Nampak Cartons, one of the longest established employers in Leeds, and Unite the Union, has today seen the opening of a Learning Centre for workers at Nampak’s Leeds factory. The company is also supporting the Union’s ‘Balls to Poverty’ campaign.
The Learning Centre was officially opened by local Councillor Angela Gabriel, and will be the venue and focus for a range of safety, vocational and individual development courses.
Steve Campbell, Site Director at Nampak Cartons said, “We take training very seriously. First of all, it is the key factor in making sure we have a safe workplace. Secondly, it means that our people are developed to their full potential, whatever their current job. This partnership with Unite the Union is a really positive one, because it means more people can access more training.”
The initiative comes as a result of Unite the Union asking major employers like Nampak to provide support and facilities to establish continuous learning centres inside workplaces. Glenn Jackson, Unite the Union’s FOC and Learner Representative at the plant has been one of the main champions of the project.
Mr Jackson said, “Many people have put a lot of time and effort into making this achievement possible. This learning and training agenda, in conjunction with a working partnership between Nampak and Unite the Union, bodes well for the company. Employees will be able to enhance existing skills and develop new ones that will influence, shape and strengthen the future of our industry."
The Learning Centre at Nampak will initially be used for work related courses run by the company, as well as being used by the union to run courses for its members. The longer term aim is that the facilities will be made available to employees who want to further their skills by taking self-study courses in IT and, perhaps, other subjects such as languages.
It is attached to the plant’s Risk Management Centre, which was established last year with four staff, including two full-time trainers, and is responsible for all aspects of health, safety and training at the plant.
Sharon Ward, Human Resources Manager said, “I think it is really positive that we are doing this together with Unite the Union, because it not only builds the skills of our staff, it also furthers the relationship between us and our union. As a Group, Nampak is committed to working with its employee representatives, which is why we have signed up to an International Framework Agreement (IFA).”
The main objective of such IFA’s is to establish an ongoing global relationship between multinational companies like Nampak, which has operations throughout Africa and Europe, and its employee representatives. This ensures that the same set of core labour standards can be implemented in all the countries where they operate. Nampak, which has its headquarters in South Africa, was the first graphics art sector group from outside of Europe to sign up to an IFA.
For the second year running, and partly because of its South African connections, Nampak has agreed to make a donation to help support the Amicus ‘Balls to Poverty’ trip to South Africa.
In March, twenty-eight college students will visit the country to provide football-coaching sessions and distribute 8,000 footballs to school-aged children in the townships of the Cape Town area. The long-term aim of the programme is to distribute 35,000 footballs by the time South Africa hosts the 2010 World Cup finals.
Steve Campbell presented Nampak’s donation to the programme during the opening ceremony for the Learning Centre.
Picture L to R – Glenn Jackson, Cllr. Angela Gabriel, Steve Campbell