Internationally Uniform Top-Qualification for SPAR Professional Trainers

The international grocery chain SPAR builds since 2013 on the innovative WIFI Train the Trainer-programme: During a strategic cooperation WIFI, together with SPAR, developed a three-step qualifications programme in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovenia, Croatia, Italy and Austria.

Trainings in Local Language by Latest Teaching Research Standards

“What makes this cooperation special and what led to these contract: With our trainers, we can offer training programs in their respective native country and tongue; training programs of uniform and highest standards due to the WIFI-network’s international collaboration,” says pleased the head of WIFI International, Anton Aufner. A further asset is the didactic basis: The WIFI learning model LENA guarantees lively and sustainable learning according to latest teaching standards.

Facilitating adult-friendly learning

„In our company, in-house experts permanently pass on their knowledge to our employees“, explains Raimund Lainer, SPAR’s corporate manager of human resources. “We therefore emphasize that all trainers possess methodological and didactic competence that allows adult-friendly learning.“ He is convinced by the WIFI learning model LENA, which stresses individual learning processes and autonomous problem-solving by using practical examples. At the beginning of the collaboration, WIFI International organized in February 2013 workshops for the whole national and international trainer team that is involved in the project for SPAR. Their purpose was to translate SPAR norms and values into the relevant language and culture and develop an international standardized learning program based on LENA.

Three-step certified trainer education

The first step of the thirteen-day WIFI trainer‘s program took place in spring and summer 2013: „The 140 professional trainers from six countries, who passed the basic education are thrilled with the program“, reports Josef Huber, Austria SPAR International AG’s human resources developer. “They had the chance to learn about new and effective teaching and learning methods which they were able to apply from day one onwards. Thanks to the positive response, the WIFI Train the Trainer-program will become a fixed part of the international SPAR education program.” In the following year, the program continued: Those SPAR participants who took part in the whole three-step WIFI Train the Trainer-program received the internationally acknowledged WIFI trainer-diploma and the ISO trainer certificate. Since 2014, almost 50 professional trainers of SPAR passed the certification to Certified Trainer of Adult Education according to EN ISO 17024. In total, around 350 SPAR employees went through the WIFI-trainer education.

"The training and the associated certification enables our trainers to bring the seminars to life and make a lasting impact. And this increase in efficiency and quality in training demonstrably increases the effectiveness and implementation in the company ", says Raimund Lainer from SPAR.

For WIFI International the successful collaboration with SPAR is further proof for being on the right track: „Companies are increasingly looking for education partners that offer not only top education programs in Austria but also in the CEE/SEE area, applying the same standards in the required local languages”, explains Anton Aufner. “This is exactly what we are offering with our network in Central and Southeast Europe. It adds to the competitiveness of Austrian companies abroad.“


Internationally Uniform Top-Qualification for SPAR Professional Trainers

The international grocery chain SPAR builds since 2013 on the innovative WIFI Train the Trainer-programme: During a strategic cooperation WIFI, together with SPAR, developed a three-step qualifications programme in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovenia, Croatia, Italy and Austria.

Trainings in Local Language by Latest Teaching Research Standards

“What makes this cooperation special and what led to these contract: With our trainers, we can offer training programs in their respective native country and tongue; training programs of uniform and highest standards due to the WIFI-network’s international collaboration,” says pleased the head of WIFI International, Anton Aufner. A further asset is the didactic basis: The WIFI learning model LENA guarantees lively and sustainable learning according to latest teaching standards.

Facilitating adult-friendly learning

„In our company, in-house experts permanently pass on their knowledge to our employees“, explains Raimund Lainer, SPAR’s corporate manager of human resources. “We therefore emphasize that all trainers possess methodological and didactic competence that allows adult-friendly learning.“ He is convinced by the WIFI learning model LENA, which stresses individual learning processes and autonomous problem-solving by using practical examples. At the beginning of the collaboration, WIFI International organized in February 2013 workshops for the whole national and international trainer team that is involved in the project for SPAR. Their purpose was to translate SPAR norms and values into the relevant language and culture and develop an international standardized learning program based on LENA.

Three-step certified trainer education

The first step of the thirteen-day WIFI trainer‘s program took place in spring and summer 2013: „The 140 professional trainers from six countries, who passed the basic education are thrilled with the program“, reports Josef Huber, Austria SPAR International AG’s human resources developer. “They had the chance to learn about new and effective teaching and learning methods which they were able to apply from day one onwards. Thanks to the positive response, the WIFI Train the Trainer-program will become a fixed part of the international SPAR education program.” In the following year, the program continued: Those SPAR participants who took part in the whole three-step WIFI Train the Trainer-program received the internationally acknowledged WIFI trainer-diploma and the ISO trainer certificate. Since 2014, almost 50 professional trainers of SPAR passed the certification to Certified Trainer of Adult Education according to EN ISO 17024. In total, around 350 SPAR employees went through the WIFI-trainer education.

"The training and the associated certification enables our trainers to bring the seminars to life and make a lasting impact. And this increase in efficiency and quality in training demonstrably increases the effectiveness and implementation in the company ", says Raimund Lainer from SPAR.

For WIFI International the successful collaboration with SPAR is further proof for being on the right track: „Companies are increasingly looking for education partners that offer not only top education programs in Austria but also in the CEE/SEE area, applying the same standards in the required local languages”, explains Anton Aufner. “This is exactly what we are offering with our network in Central and Southeast Europe. It adds to the competitiveness of Austrian companies abroad.“