Food company Danone has launched a global training programme to help prepare its workforce ready for an artificial intelligence (AI)- and sustainability-influenced future.
Dubbed “DanSkills”, the move is part of what Danone calls its commitment to business success and social progress. The company said it is trying to meet the “challenges of tomorrow” with the new initiative.
The objectives of DanSkills, is to upskill all 100,000 Danone employees for the jobs of the future and attract new talent. Between now and 2030, Danone plans to reallocate one million training hours annually to help its people learn tomorrow’s skills – supported by a budget of €100 million over the period.
A dedicated management training centre at Danone’s historic Evian site in France will be developed as part of the move, as the business looks to up its focus on training in digital technology and AI, and around environmental and demographic transitions.
Danone acknowledged these issues have meant organisations need to radically rethink the world of work and invent sustainable new organisational models. As well as helping the existing workforce, the aim is to prepare for the 2,500 positions in Europe, including over 500 in France, the company anticipates it will need by 2027.
DanSkills’ comes after the Danone ‘Social Pact’ was launched by company CEO, Antoine de Saint-Affrique, in 2023.
The skills programme will be deployed in the 55 countries where Danone operates, and be open to all employees, regardless of qualification, job, or age. It is also designed to be expanded to include Danone’s key external partners, bringing its entire ecosystem into the digital, environmental, and food transitions.
Earlier this year, Spain-based fashion retailer Mango announced than 250 employees, including those in design, buying, and quality assessment, will receive sustainability training as part a collaboration with Centro Superior de Diseño de Moda de Madrid, an institution linked to the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid.
A formal training programme is being developed to run throughout 2024, aiming to educate Mango staff on sustainability areas such as recycling processes, materials and fibres, certifications and labelling, as well as the application of circularity criteria in the design of collections.
[Image credit: Danone]
