For a while, retailers didn’t want to mention the R word. But now we’ve officially been told we’re moving into a recession, it seems many retailers are having to think about the other R word – redundancies.

Unlike many other sectors – such as DIY, homewares and fashion – food has so far been able to resist mass redundancies. Yet that doesn’t mean that those working in the food sector won’t be feeling uneasy about their jobs and the economy.

For this reason, it’s great to see grocers such as Sainsbury’s setting out its agenda to offer recognised qualifications for its entire workforce and recruiting those less able to find work, namely ex-offenders and those with learning difficulties.

The move sends a clear signal to Sainsbury’s 150,000-strong workforce that they are key to the success of the business. The Level 1 numeracy and literacy qualification supports those who want to brush up on their maths and English skills and gain a nationally recognised qualification, equivalent to that of a GCSE.

Sainsbury’s – which was the first supermarket to sign the Government’s skills pledge in June last year – has set itself a target to ensure at least 25 per cent of its staff gain the qualification in the next five years. In times of uncertainty, staff need extra motivation and Sainsbury’s is only too aware that a big part of why shoppers return to the store is the service. And only motivated staff will deliver a good service.

Four years ago, Sainsbury’s had the worst labour turnover of all the grocers, at a staggering 40 per cent. Today, it stands at 30 per cent, which may still sound high, but is actually an industry-leading standard.

Sainsbury’s boss Justin King rightly pointed out at the launch of the retailer’s You Can scheme this week that for some, the prospect of employing ex-offenders or those with learning difficulties is a touchy subject, but he said that investing in this area shows Sainsbury’s is part of each community it sits in.

The move was deemed so important for the UK that skills secretary John Denham attended the launch to talk about the need to invest in skills even in a slowdown. He pointed out that during the last recession, some of those to lose their jobs got completely detached from the labour market, their skills turned rusty and some have never worked since.

Denham also singled out ex-offenders, saying there is no doubt that if offenders believe there will be a job for them when they are freed, it will dramatically reduce the chance of them re-offending.

Sainsbury’s knows if it invests in staff in a slowdown, it will get the returns in the long term. And it’s no bad thing for the industry to inject a bit of positive news into the UK’s worried workforce.

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