In 2015, the SPAR Academy in Vienna launched the ‘Green Champion’ training course, which aims to enthuse young people about sustainability. This unique additional training, designed in cooperation with WWF Austria, was previously only offered to SPAR trainees in Vienna. Since September, SPAR trainees at vocational schools in Tyrol, Salzburg, Carinthia, Lower Austria, and Burgenland can also choose to become ‘Green Champions’.

Austria’s Federal Ministry for Climate Protection supports the programme. On 24 September, Climate Protection Minister Leonore Gewessler visited the SPAR Academy in Vienna to meet the next generation of ‘Green Champions’.

“Our customers are increasingly concerned about the sustainability of products. To ensure that our employees can provide competent advice, SPAR Austria offers an extensive training programme on product range, service, and sustainability”, explained SPAR Austria’s Board Director Fritz Poppmeier.

SPAR Austria has developed this additional training in cooperation with the environmental protection organisation WWF Austria. The training focuses on eco-friendly grocery shopping as well as current sustainability topics, including plastic reduction, animal welfare, and product sourcing from regional suppliers. WWF experts compiled the learning materials with the support of the Austrian Climate Protection Ministry.

After the successful implementation of the additional training course at the SPAR Academy in Vienna five years ago, the ‘Green Champion’ training course in September became available to about 350 trainees per year instead of the previous 100.

The course instructors have been trained by WWF experts as part of a ‘Train the Trainer’ programme. “This method enables us to pass on professional knowledge to our apprentices in the long term”, explained the Director of the SPAR Academy in Vienna, Robert Renz.

As the largest employer and one of the largest trading companies in Austria, SPAR is aware of its high level of social responsibility, and has therefore firmly anchored the topic of sustainability in its corporate philosophy. SPAR is also the largest private training company in Austria, currently developing 2,480 apprentices.

Source: SPAR Austria

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About SPAR Austria

The origins of SPAR in Austria date back to 1954, but the current SPAR AG was created in 1970 when the original founding families joined with other regional wholesalers to form SPAR Austria AG – a 100% privately owned Austrian company.

With licences granted by SPAR International, ASPIAG (Austria SPAR International AG) has also developed SPAR in Slovenia, Hungary, Croatia, and Northern Italy.