Food company Heinz has proved its dedication to staff training by opening a learning centre at its Luton factory.

The Heinz Learning Academy, which features purpose-built training rooms with a fully-equipped IT suite, is the result of a £50,000 joint investment by Heinz, the Learning and Skills Council Bedfordshire and Luton and the GMB Union.

The facility, the first of its kind in Bedfordshire, will be used to help employees achieve basic skills in English, Maths and IT, with future plans to offer more advanced training.

It's based at the company's 550-staff sandwich making factory, in Leagrave, which employs a high proportion of ethnic minority workers.

Site HR Manager Graham Trevor says the idea for the Learning Academy sprang from the success of staff attending English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) courses.

"We worked with the Learning and Skills Council to provide ESOL courses and the result was excellent,"he said. "Everyone's reaction was very positive and staff were keen to progress further. We decided to look at the wider picture and develop a bigger and better project."