BRCGS standard training: which knowledge does each role need?
Not everyone in your company needs the same BRCGS training. A director needs different knowledge from an operator on the line. According to a whitepaper from Mérieux NutriSciences on Issue 9, the training requirements apply to all staff, not only to relevant functions, and you record your training needs in a plan. Employees must therefore be able to carry out and explain their own task, and you must be able to demonstrate that. Training is not a certificate in itself. It is evidence that your people understand their work.
Start with the requirements guide at BRCGS Food Safety Issue 9: which requirements do you need to control?. It lists the control blocks that touch every role. For the wider picture, go to the BRCGS hub. The exact training requirements of the scheme are best confirmed with your certification body, because it decides which evidence counts at your audit.
Training only has value when the employee applies it. A signature on a list without a practical check is not evidence of knowledge.
The role matrix
| Role | What this person must know | Evidence you keep |
|---|---|---|
| Management | The purpose of the scheme, management’s responsibility, and the consequences of findings | Management review report, list of decisions |
| Quality or food safety manager | The scheme in detail, risk assessment, internal audit and management of findings | Certificate or report from the training, internal audit notes |
| Production supervisor | How the requirements work on the line, reporting deviations and supervising work | Shift briefings, deviation records |
| Operator | Their own work instructions, hygiene rules and what to do when a deviation occurs | Attendance list, practical check on the line |
| Cleaning and maintenance | Cleaning schedules, chemicals, and how to stay in contact with production | Cleaning records, workplace check |
| Goods receipt and logistics | Checks on raw materials, temperature and traceability | Goods receipt records, supplier checks |
| External parties and temporary agency staff | The rules that apply to their work | Signed instructions, access records |
The table is a starting point. Adjust it to your scope and organisation. What matters is that every role knows which record they fill in, and that you can show this.
An example training plan
A hypothetical dairy company with forty employees, five of whom work in the office, runs its training in three blocks.
- Block for managers: an afternoon on the purpose of the scheme, the management role and the findings procedure. Evidence: attendance list and a short test.
- Block for the production team: a conversation on the shop floor for each task, with the work instruction at hand. Evidence: signed instruction and a practical check by a shift leader.
- Block for internal auditors: training in the requirements and in reporting findings. Evidence: notes from the first internal audit the auditor carried out themselves.
The plan is not expensive, but it does need scheduling. Pay attention to anyone who moves between shifts or is a temporary agency worker. They also need an instruction.
Internal or external training?
Internal training suits daily tasks well, because you can match it to your own processes. External training gives more background on the scheme and on what auditors expect. Many companies combine both: external training for the quality manager and internal training for the rest of the organisation.
For external training, ask the provider for the programme and the form of evidence. Also ask whether your certification body recognises the training. That is not always the case, so check before you enrol.
Common mistakes
- Giving every employee the same training. An operator does not need an hour on management reviews.
- Training without a practical check. Training that nobody tests does not produce evidence.
- No training for new employees. The first weeks are the biggest risk for deviations.
- Evidence on paper, not in the system. If you cannot find the records, the training does not count.
Frequently asked questions
Does everyone on the production floor need a BRCGS certificate?
No. A personal certificate is not the requirement. The scheme asks for demonstrable knowledge of each person’s own task. So you do not need to send every employee on an external course.
Does the internal auditor need to be certified?
That depends on the requirements of your certification body and your customers. Ask before you appoint someone. An experienced internal auditor with good training is in any case a strong foundation.
How do I show that the training was effective?
By showing that the employee carries out the task correctly and reports a deviation properly. A short practical check after the training is the strongest evidence. See also the internal audit page.