When I started working in the food industry 34 years ago, I had the opportunity to work with some great Plant Sanitarians. These dedicated employees worked all shifts and generally wore numerous hats for a variety of responsibilities. A Sanitarian’s duties ranged from receiving, pest management, maintenance and plant inspections to sanitation, cleaning, scheduling and others. They had large and varied roles. They were dedicated, often working beyond 40-hour weeks, and were proud of their efforts and those of their crews. Plant Sanitarians had an important job, although it was not always recognized by many working in the facility.
Many Sanitarians had assistants; some in larger corporations had more than one assistant. As supervisors, the Sanitarians were responsible for training and preparing their assistants to take over in the future or advance in other facilities. The training was hands on, using real experiences and examples. Not only were their assistants taught various plant tasks, but they also learned the management and the leadership responsibilities of being a food safety manager, trainer, mentor and leader. A few of the young assistants I met 34 years ago are still working, leading, managing and mentoring the next generation of food industry workers. In fact, a few are now working at AIB International mentoring future generations.
Over the last several years this model of training has changed. Few Sanitarians, or what we today refer to as Food Safety Managers, have assistants. Few companies have developed succession plans and prepared for the future. As a result, these companies are finding it difficult to find qualified candidates to replace their Food Safety Managers and have asked AIB to help.
In 2008, AIB began to consider the idea of establishing a resident training course designed to develop Food Safety Managers. Our vision was to design a training program that focused on hands-on training and demonstrations with applicable presentations given by experienced food safety/sanitation staff members. Our goal was to develop leaders and managers, equipping them with the technical, managerial and leadership skills needed to succeed in the modern food industry.
After an overwhelming positive response from the industry, AIB has decided to move forward with this program. The first ever Management Development for Food Safety/Sanitation Professionals course is scheduled for four weeks in July 2009. We have planned numerous training exercises, weekly field visits, and discussions with well-known industry experts.
It is our hope at AIB that this extended, interactive training will equip food safety and sanitation professionals with the skills and knowledge needed to become successful plant supervisors and managers. We expect the impact of this training to reach beyond the students in the classroom, and will encourage them to go back to their facilities and share what they’ve learned with their coworkers to begin shaping tomorrow’s leaders.
The author is Vice President of Food Safety Education, AIB International.