illian Dudgeon from the Tertiary Education Commission (left), Andrew Graney and Josh Williams, from the Industry Training Federation. Photo / Nicky Murray
illian Dudgeon from the Tertiary Education Commission (left), Andrew Graney and Josh Williams, from the Industry Training Federation. Photo / Nicky Murray
A local Hawke's Bay supermarket owner has been recognised for his work in building employee skills with a national award.
The Skill's Highway Awards in Auckland earlier this month saw Andrew Graney, the owner-operator of Pak'nSave Tamatea, receive the Skills Highway Champion Employer award.
Graney has been part of thesupermarket for more than 16 years and has been owner and operator of it since 2013 but said that to be awarded with the honour just goes to show the great work they had been doing over recent years.
For the past two and a half years he has been developing programmes within the business that help upskill staff from everything such as the fundamentals of reading, writing, communication and maths in the workplace, to managerial skills and other tools to help further develop their potential.
"We've had over 100 team members go through these courses and for us it shows that we are on the right track and meeting the goals and targets required," Graney said.
Graney was one of three employers in New Zealand to win the award this year.
Skill's Highway works with and receives funding from the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) to help build and develop programmes that further upskill company's staff with funding.
Pak'nSave Tamatea owner Andrew Graney back in 2016 overseeing the supermarket's redevelopment. Photo / Paul Taylor
With the funding and support he has been able to develop his programme called "Unleashing our Potential", which holds three different strands called "Unleashing our Team", "Unleashing our Supervisors", both of which are funded by the TEC, and "Unleashing our Leaders".
The three work to help build and develop an employee's skills and help them build through their working career.
He said his programmes have been successful in not only helping people grow within the company but to reach their goals in life.
"I've obviously had people who have been able to make their way further in the company through this course but also be able to have the skills to go further," Garney said.
"Some have taken them and gone back to continue their studies or taken it to build and grow in their preferred industry and really take off."
Proven Performance has worked with Graney and his team to develop the programmes they use and the company's general manager Sharnell Stevenson said that the award was an acknowledgement of his commitment to upskilling staff at all levels of the organisation.
"Andrew knows that increasing the team's numeracy and literacy skills will improve individual confidence and competence and will not only impact them in the workplace but will have a wider effect at home and in the community," Stevenson said.
