Training our suppliers

In 2007, we continued our intensive efforts to provide training for our suppliers as well as for the SEA team, licensees and employees from the adidas Group’s operations departments.

We have three main approaches to training content:

  • Fundamental training: includes introductory training for the Workplace Standards, Fair Factories Clearinghouse (FFC) data entries, new factory approval process and the SEA operating guidelines
  • Performance training: includes detailed training on specific issues on labour, health, safety, and environmental practices, as well as initial assessment monitoring methods
  • Sustainability training: includes training in the KPI and rating tools, sustainable compliance planning and supplier self-assessment methods.

In 2007, 267 training sessions were conducted by the SEA team for more than 3,500 adidas Group employees, licensees, agents, distributors and suppliers.

Employees of the adidas Group included staff from Global Operations, Legal, Product and Quality Management, Development, Finance, Corporate Communications and Brand Marketing management.

Included in this total number are 123 supplier group training sessions that are training sessions with the participation of more than one supplier:

  • Americas – there were 42 training sessions provided to more than 180 adidas Group staff and suppliers’ compliance personnel
  • EMEA – there were 35 training sessions for more than 180 adidas Group staff and suppliers’ compliance personnel
  • Asia – there were 190 training sessions for more than 3,140 internal staff and suppliers’ compliance personnel. Nearly a quarter of the training packages were delivered in China. Most of these were supplier group training sessions with in total just under 1,000 participants.

Training initiatives

Americas

There was active participation by SEA in the FLA’s Central America Project that delivered training on best practice guidelines for hiring, dismissals, grievance and discipline to Central American labour inspectorates, maquila associations and suppliers.

There was continued outreach with NGOs and workers in El Salvador and Honduras, including worker consultations to verify SEA’s process for assessing compliance risks. SEA training sessions on strategic compliance planning took place for selected key regional suppliers. The Maquila Industry Associations in Honduras and Guatemala were engaged frequently to clarify compliance expectations, local laws and sustainable compliance activities.

Asia

Human Resources Management Systems training

In 2007, work on the Human Resources Management Systems (HRMS) Project continued in China. With the addition of another brand’s suppliers to the project, SEA staff participated in an expanded project team, collaborating on a range of
activities, including:

  • Observing factory trainee sessions
  • Resolving problems which emerged during the various modules
  • Agreeing on human resources metrics to be implemented and tracked by suppliers (for example training costs, detailed breakdowns on worker turnover)
  • Reaching out to other potential project partners.

SEA staff also began to consider how we could incorporate our assessment of suppliers’ implementation of HRMS at the factory level into our own monitoring practices. To that end, various SEA team members continued to attend HR trainings to enhance their skills in this area, and in 2008 comprehensive training on the HRMS project and its implications for monitoring of suppliers will be conducted by the global SEA team.

Further training initiatives

In Cambodia, China and Vietnam, the SEA team worked closely with local arbitration bodies, external consultants and the ILO, to develop and run dispute resolution training for suppliers.

adidas Group representatives have also participated in an ILO-run Factory Improvement Programme (FIP) in Vietnam. The FIP has six primary modules providing training to factories on quality, productivity, cleaner production, human resource, workplace cooperation and industrial relations.

Freedom of association has been the focus of training conducted in 2007 for suppliers in Thailand, with special attention given to improving the communication between committee members and management representatives in the Worker Welfare Committees formed under the Thai Labour Relations Act.

Efforts to strengthen occupational health continued, with training sessions for suppliers on OHSAS 18001 management systems in China and medical training sessions for the clinicians in key apparel suppliers in China, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam. In 2007, greater effort was also made to raise awareness of occupational health in major TaylorMade-adidas Golf suppliers.

Service providers were identified in Indonesia and customised HR training and consultation was conducted for our larger suppliers.

In Vietnam, Thailand and China, the SEA team engaged with local NGOs, consultants and the ILO to build supplier awareness of Employee Welfare Committees and Collective Bargaining Agreements.

Read more about training in our Performance data section.

  • Supplier training, Turkey
  • Supplier training, Turkey
  • Supplier training, Vietnam
  • Supplier training, Vietnam
  • In 2007, 267 training sessions were conducted by the SEA team for more than 3,500 adidas Group employees, licensees, agents, distributors and suppliers.