Caffè Nero wins Princess Royal award for outstanding workplace training

Premium coffee house Caffè Nero has won a leading workplace training award in recognition of the impact of its leader development courses delivered with innovative sector leader WELL Training.

Caffè Nero has won a 2022 Princess Royal Training Award, presented by City & Guilds, for the success of the UK training programme launched with WELL Training to retain staff and improve employee satisfaction whilst developing talent.

Each year HRH The Princess Royal, President of City & Guilds, awards employers with outstanding training and skills development programmes which have been proven to have significant positive impact on their business or their staff.

Delivered by WELL Training, the Caffè Nero Super Leader apprenticeship programme used high impact training to help Caffè Nero’s UK Store Managers work towards the Operational Manager Apprenticeship Standard, equipping them with core skills for leading their stores and progressing within their leadership careers. The Super Leader sessions for Store Managers focused on operational management, organisational strategy and authentic leadership.

The 2022 Princess Royal Training Award citation said: “Through implementing a leader training programme, Caffè Nero has increased Store Manager retention to over 80%, enhanced recruitment and promotions, and improved leader confidence amongst 100% of attendees. A further 96% reported feeling supported in their career goals.”

The programme has proved such a success that WELL Training have rolled it out across The Caffè Nero Group’s other brands in the UK including Coffee #1 and Harris + Hoole.

Caffè Nero Group HR Director, Andrea Cooper commented: “Caffè Nero has always placed focus on developing people from within and providing a clear pathway for growth so we are delighted to see the Super Leader programme recognised with a 2022 Princess Royal Training Award.

“We invest in our people to develop individuals, equipping them for success in their careers and strengthening our teams so it is fantastic to see the impact acknowledged. WELL Training not only met our brief for people development, they have helped us make big steps forward in supporting our Super Leaders make a positive difference to our Group.”

WELL Training was selected by Caffè Nero as its learning partner due to its balanced focus on employee and employer impact. CEO Lindsey Flynn added: “The Super Leader programme being honoured with a 2022 Princess Royal Training Award is a tribute to the hard work and focus from the Caffè Nero learners who responded so well to the opportunities to develop practical skills which enhanced their impact in the company and supported their future development.

“It has been a pleasure to work with a forward thinking leading brand like Caffé Nero, who have shown ambitions to support the development of their managers even in challenging times, which has paid dividends around retention and morale among the training cohort.”

Now in its seventh year, The Princess Royal Training Awards recognise organisations “truly demonstrating exceptional commitment to learning and development”.

Kirstie Donnelly MBE, Chief Executive of City & Guilds, said: “The Princess Royal Training Awards demonstrate how training and development can open up opportunities and attract new talent to industries with significant skills gaps and labour shortages.”

The Caffè Nero course was one of 47 training programmes to be recognised. Other leading brands to be honoured for training included OVO Energy and hospitality chain Greene King.

Launched in 2010, WELL Training have grown their reputation as an apprenticeships training provider and partner of leading brands for management coaching and staff development.