Lennie Ouimette of Kawartha Dairy, and Gwynne Sitzsker of Embassay Ingredients
In an industry where food safety is paramount, effective employee training is a critical component of any successful quality management program. However, as the food landscape continues to evolve, organizations are recognizing the need to rethink their traditional training approaches.
At a recent industry conference, two seasoned food safety professionals, Gwynne Sitzger of Embassy Ingredients and Lennie Ouimette of Kawartha Dairy, shared their insights on how they are transforming training at their respective organizations. Their strategies offer valuable lessons for food companies looking to elevate their training programs and drive meaningful, lasting impact.
Traditional Approach vs. Modern Strategy
In the rapidly evolving landscape of food safety, traditional training approaches have become obsolete. As Gwynne Sitzger and Lennie Oiumette powerfully illustrated, modern training is no longer about passive, compliance-driven PowerPoint presentations delivered once a year. Instead, it’s a dynamic, engaging journey that transforms learning from a mundane requirement into an exciting opportunity for growth. By leveraging technology, creating multimedia experiences, and tailoring content to diverse learning styles, these industry leaders are reimagining training as a strategic tool for cultural transformation. Their approach goes beyond mere information transfer, focusing on creating interactive, data-driven learning experiences that not only educate employees but also inspire them to become active participants in maintaining the highest standards of food safety and quality.
Traditional Training:
- One-size-fits-all presentations
- Infrequent, annual training sessions
- Minimal follow-up or measurement
Modern Training Strategy:
- Personalized, multi-modal learning
- Continuous, ongoing development
- Interactive and immersive experiences
- Data-driven performance tracking
- Technology-enhanced delivery
Navigating the Complexities of Modern Training: Challenges in the Food Safety Landscape
In today’s fast-paced food industry, training has become a minefield of challenges that go far beyond simple knowledge transfer. As Gwynne Sitzger and Lennie Ouimette candidly shared, organizations now face a perfect storm of obstacles: a multi-generational workforce with diverse learning preferences, rapidly evolving technological platforms, limited production downtime, and increasingly complex regulatory requirements. The traditional one-size-fits-all approach crumbles in the face of these challenges, leaving companies struggling to create training programs that are simultaneously engaging, comprehensive, and operationally efficient. Key challenges include:
- Bridging generational learning gaps
- Maintaining production continuity during training
- Creating cost-effective, scalable training solutions
- Ensuring knowledge retention and practical application
- Adapting to rapidly changing technological landscapes
- Measuring the true effectiveness of training interventions
The stakes are high: ineffective training doesn’t just risk compliance violations, but can fundamentally compromise food safety, operational efficiency, and organizational culture. As these industry leaders demonstrated, overcoming these challenges requires a radical reimagining of training as a strategic, dynamic, and continuously evolving process.
Embracing the Virtual Shift
The COVID-19 pandemic forced many companies to rapidly adapt their training methods, moving away from in-person, classroom-style sessions. Gwen and Lennie’s organizations were no exception, but rather than simply replicating their existing programs in a virtual format, they seized the opportunity to reimagine their approaches entirely.
Gwynne described how Embassy Ingredients transitioned to a more dynamic, multimedia-driven training experience, incorporating audio narration, videos, and even custom-branded online platforms.
“We wanted to make training an event, not just a compliance meeting,” she explained. “By making it fun and interactive, we’re able to really capture our employees’ attention and help the lessons stick.”
Lennie echoed this sentiment at Kawartha Dairy, where they rebranded their training as “Kawartha Dairy College” to elevate its importance and demonstrate the organization’s investment in its people. They’ve also empowered frontline employees to become technical trainers, instilling a sense of pride and ownership in their roles.
Leveraging Data-Driven Strategies
While engaging, interactive training is essential, Gwen and Lennie emphasized the importance of coupling these efforts with data-driven strategies to measure and improve their programs’ effectiveness.
Both organizations have implemented key performance indicators (KPIs) to track the success of their training initiatives. At Embassy Ingredients, they’ve tied food safety KPIs like “audit ready” and “first try” pass rates directly to their training curriculum. If those metrics start to slip, it’s an immediate trigger for retraining.
“It creates this wonderful cycle of continuous improvement,” Gwen remarked. “We can really hone in on where the gaps are and make sure our training is hitting the mark.”
Kawartha Dairy has taken a similar approach, with Lennie’s team holding functional managers accountable for meeting their training outcomes. This level of visibility and accountability helps ensure that training remains a strategic priority across the organization.
Tailoring Training to Diverse Audiences
One of the key challenges faced by food companies is the need to effectively train a diverse workforce, from office staff to plant operators. Gwynne and Lennie emphasized the importance of offering a “basket” of training options, from self-paced e-learning to hands-on demonstrations to peer-to-peer coaching.
Gwynne shared how Embassy Ingredients has developed “training menus” using visual design tools, making complex standard operating procedures (SOPs) more engaging and user-friendly for frontline employees.
“We can’t be afraid to get creative,” she said. “If we want our training to truly resonate, we need to meet our people where they are.”
Lennie echoed this sentiment, noting that a one-size-fits-all approach is rarely effective. By tailoring their training methods to the specific needs and learning styles of their workforce, Kawartha Dairy has been able to drive higher levels of engagement and retention.
Recommended Technology Stack for Modern Training Essential Training Technologies:
- Learning Management System (LMS)
- AI-powered assessment tools
- Mobile learning applications
- Interactive simulation software
Challenges and Considerations Potential Implementation Barriers:
- Technology integration costs
- Employee resistance to change
- Limited technical infrastructure
- Training time constraints
Mitigation Strategies:
- Phased implementation approach
- Leadership buy-in and support
Key Takeaways
The session with Gwen and Lennie highlighted several key takeaways for food companies looking to transform their training programs:
- Embrace Virtual and Multimedia-Driven Training
Gone are the days of dry PowerPoint presentations. Gwynne and Lennie are leveraging technology and creative formats to make training more engaging and interactive. From custom-branded online platforms to training “menus” with visual design, they’re finding innovative ways to capture their employees’ attention and help lessons stick.
- Implement Data-Driven Strategies
It’s not enough to just make training fun – Gwynne and Lennie are also using key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the effectiveness of their programs. By tying training directly to food safety metrics, they can identify gaps and continuously improve their curricula.
- Tailor Training to Diverse Audiences
With a workforce that spans from office staff to plant operators, these leaders know that a one-size-fits-all approach simply won’t cut it. They’re offering a “basket” of training options, from self-paced e-learning to hands-on demonstrations, to ensure their programs resonate with all employees.
Conclusion
As the food industry navigates an ever-changing landscape of regulations, consumer demands, and workforce dynamics, the ability to effectively train and develop talent has never been more crucial. Gwynne, Lennie, and their peers are leading the way, demonstrating how a strategic, multifaceted approach to training can transform food safety from a necessary evil to a competitive advantage.
By embracing virtual training, leveraging data-driven strategies, and tailoring their programs to diverse audiences, these organizations are setting a new standard for food safety training excellence. Their insights offer a roadmap for food companies looking to elevate their training initiatives and drive meaningful, lasting impact.
Recommended Next Steps:
- Conduct comprehensive training needs assessment
- Evaluate current training infrastructure
- Develop pilot training transformation program
- Invest in technology and skills development
- Create cross-functional training governance model
