Training and development

Alliance Boots is a dynamic international Group and achieving our ambitious goals depends on the motivation and quality of our employees at every level. Our employees are a key asset.

We believe working for Alliance Boots offers an exciting and stimulating environment where employees can develop their careers. We offer considerable scope for personal and professional development through training and international mobility. We also provide opportunities for continuous learning undertaken in the working environment. There is a considerable amount of ‘on the job’ training within the business environment, for example in our Pharmaceutical Wholesale Division over 72,000 hours of dedicated off-site training took place in 2007/08. At the same time, we recognise and reward achievements with competitive remuneration packages.

A new standard in international pharmacy education

As a pharmacy-led business the education of pharmacists is a cause very close to our heart. Since our merger we have become increasingly aware of a need to develop a world-class, internationally recognised pharmacy qualification.

In March 2008 we signed a co-operation agreement with the University of Tor Vergata in Rome, Italy and the University of Nottingham in the UK. With our active involvement and support, a new five-year pharmacy degree course will be open to international students at Tor Vergata from the start of the 2008/09 academic year.

Both universities have an international reputation for excellence in their respective fields. Nottingham University will provide the necessary degree accreditation and will help the lecturers at Tor Vergata develop the new elements of this degree course. The course will focus on developing students’ understanding of the demands of the modern pharmacy profession, in terms of both delivering healthcare and building a successful business. In addition, we will be able to work with our partners to develop projects to combat the threat to public health posed by medical counterfeiting across the globe.

 

“Boots Academy”

“Boots Academy” has been developed in the UK for Health & Beauty colleagues in all non-store areas, providing over 65 learning modules plus a library of over 2,850 reference resources including books, DVDs and CDs. Easily accessed via the Boots intranet, this flexible, learner-led and business-focused resource enables employees to work on personal development needs and the needs of the business.

 

Introduce an induction day for new joiners across the Group

New employees across the Group now participate in induction training days, which include taking each new joiner through the Group’s Code of Conduct.

“We offer considerable scope for personal and professional development”