EIGHT employees at Pocklington-based Sundora Foods are ready to prove their organisational and motivational qualities after qualifying as team leaders.

All have gained a Certificate in Team Leading accredited by the Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM), adding to the Introductory Certificate in Team Leading they passed in January.

They are part of a skilled workforce at Sundora, which is equipped to strengthen the company's position within the growing dried fruit market.

The ILM course covers every aspect of leading a team, focusing on communication, people management and supervising projects to meet deadlines.

The successful employees are engineering supervisor Peter Barrow; hygiene co-ordinators Toby Sellers and Robert Daley; quality assurance supervisor Sonia Benge; production supervisors Peter Barclay and Lisa Peters; engineer Jason Walker and laboratory technician Gillian Gregory.

Brian Young, chief executive of Sundora Foods described them as "a credit to Sundora and an inspiration to their colleagues".

Sundora Foods recently signed an agreement with trade union Usdaw (Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers) to establish a Lifelong Learning Centre at its Burnby Lane head office to offer a range of personal development and vocational courses.

Courses will range from basic skills such as letter writing and understanding forms, through to IT and foreign languages, all designed to help Sundora employees fulfil their potential and boost their career prospects.

Updated: 11:48 Thursday, October 07, 2004