Sodexo manager wins Train to Gain award

7th May 2009, 3:30pm

Sodexo general services manager Lorraine Thomas, from Chelmsford, has won the Train to Gain accolade at the National Employer Service's (NES) Workforce Development Awards in London's Park Plaza Victoria Hotel.

Thomas, who works for Sodexo at Carpet Right Plc in Purfleet, was one of only seven people from across the UK to be short-listed for the honour.

The award winner, who has worked for Sodexo since December 2007, where she heads a team of ten staff providing catering and cleaning services; enrolled on an NVQ Level Three course in Hospitality and Supervision at the end of July 2008, which she finished in January 2009.

Her assessors were so impressed with her commitment to the course and the speed of her progress that they encouraged her to complete the self-nomination process for the Train to Gain award.

To enter, Thomas had to answer a series of questions explaining how studying for the seven modules required to pass the course and the tasks and assessment she had to complete had benefited her day to day work.

Thomas said: "I am ecstatic. I knew they had a record number of applicants this year so make it to the final seven was already a huge achievement for me. I really didn't expect to win. The NVQ was something I really wanted to do and I'm really proud of the way I managed to fit my studies around work at Sodexo without compromising the high standard of the services we offer."

In addition to a trophy from the Workforce Development Awards, designed to celebrate adult learners who have excelled in work-based learning and employers who have developed innovative workforce development programmes, Thomas also received complimentary tickets for tourist attraction the London Eye.

'Train to Gain' recognises employees who are working towards, or who have completed, an NVQ Level Two or above, who have made a contribution to their workplace which has exceeded their employer's expectations and resulted in measurable benefits.

Related Articles:

• 05 Mar 2012 - Sodexo secures multi million Unilever partnership deal
• 25 Nov 2011 - Sodexo teams up with organisations to tackle food waste
• 20 Sep 2011 - Sodexo launches new student survival App
• 10 Aug 2011 - Sodexo secures new catering contract with Cheshire girls school
• 02 Aug 2011 - Sodexo employee takes health and safety to next level
• 20 Jul 2011 - Sodexo is first major contract caterer to offer RSPCA Freedom Food
• 13 Jun 2011 - Sodexo appoints new chief financial controller
• 09 Jun 2011 - Sodexo achieves gold in corporate responsibility index
• 23 May 2011 - Sodexo appoints managing director to lead Prestige London
• 09 May 2011 - Sodexo feeds Royal Wedding troops
• 21 Apr 2011 - Sodexo wins five year deal with New College Swindon
• 15 Mar 2011 - Sodexo secures catering contract with sportscotland
• 07 Feb 2011 - Young unemployed people take part in two-week hospitality programme
• 30 Jun 2009 - Sodexo flying high with Virgin Atlantic
• 23 Jun 2009 - Sodexo expands its Aspretto offer
• 23 Jun 2009 - Sodexo rewarded for investing in its people
• 11 Jun 2009 - Sodexo wins five-year meal deal at Banbury School
• 05 Jun 2009 - Blooming success
• 08 May 2009 - New development director at Sodexo

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Brian Deen

08 May 2009 at 7:48am

Lorraine`s Committment and achievement as recognised by the award has also a real practical and important applications in her day to day working environment here at carpetright and are very proud of her.

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