Inspiration

Next up in the ‘Meet The Trainer’ series is our latest recruit to the Training Academy team… John Raine.

No stranger to William Smith, John started with the training team in the summer and has fitted in brilliantly, very much hitting the ground running in his brand-new role.

To allow you to learn a little more about John, his role, and his thoughts on the Training Academy, we recently caught up with John to ask him a few questions.

What’s your background in the industry?

Although I'm fairly new to my training role in the company, I have been at William Smith for 8 years now. I've had a fairly diverse experience at the company, having worked 5 years in the warehouse and 3 years in sales as an Internal Account Manager, both experiences which have given me a great grounding in the company.

How did you enter it?

Prior to coming to work at William Smith, I used to be an agricultural contractor, at which point I was looking for a new challenge. I had a lot of friends already working for the company. They always spoke highly about how William Smith looks after their staff and I knew it was a close-knit working environment. It was an easy decision to apply for a role at the company.

What’s your role within the Training Academy?

Here at the Training Academy my role is Training Manager. My main focus so far has been on the Kitchen Wrap Training Course, which like me, is a fairly new addition to the training course offering.

In your own words, can you sum up the William Smith Training Academy?

The William Smith Training Academy provides existing and potential customers with a place to learn professional skills in a family-run environment. Not only this, but the academy also provides you with the skills and tools you need to prosper in this ever-flourishing industry.

Why do you think the Training Courses we run are important?

We are firm believers that maintaining high standards in the industry is absolutely integral to its development and continuation. As a result, the courses we provide offer up to date tips and techniques with plenty of allocated time for practicing methods in situ. Focusing on these proven and reliable methods ensures that our customers leave each training course with the ability and knowledge to not only produce fantastic looking wraps, but ones with ensured longevity too. 

How does the training we offer stand out from the crowd?

It has to be the holistic service we provide. As a team, we have the passion to strengthen our industry and create a solid foundation. We work closely with our suppliers and customers, and are handling our products day-in, day-out, to constantly build our knowledge and pass over it on through our training courses. And, once you leave the academy, you have our continued support, not only from our trainers, but also the marketing team, as and when you need it. If our customers are successful, then we are successful.

What’s the future of the Training Academy?

For the Training Academy to go from strength-to-strength, of course. We want to host more courses on the road around the country to make our Academy more accessible to everyone.

Describe the Training Academy in three words.

Professional. Dedicated. Supportive.