Why AI Training Is Essential for Your Team’s Success

In today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape, artificial intelligence (AI) isn’t just a buzzword—it’s a transformative force reshaping industries across the globe. From automation and data analysis to customer service and decision-making, AI is becoming deeply embedded in business operations. That’s why investing in AI training for your team is no longer optional—it’s essential.

1. Stay Competitive in a Changing Market

Companies that embrace AI gain a strategic edge. Whether it’s predictive analytics in marketing, machine learning in product development, or automation in logistics, AI empowers teams to work smarter and faster. By training your team in AI, you’re equipping them to make data-driven decisions, streamline operations, and identify new opportunities ahead of the curve.

2. Close the Skills Gap

AI and related technologies are evolving at lightning speed, and many organizations are facing a growing skills gap. Providing your team with targeted AI training helps bridge this gap—ensuring they understand not only the tools but also the ethical and practical implications of AI. This creates a more resilient, future-ready workforce.

3. Boost Efficiency and Productivity

AI can handle repetitive tasks, analyze vast datasets, and even assist in decision-making processes. But to leverage these capabilities effectively, your team needs to know how to integrate and interact with AI tools. Training ensures your employees aren’t just users of AI but strategic partners who know how to amplify their productivity through smart technology.

4. Enhance Collaboration Between Technical and Non-Technical Teams

One of the biggest misconceptions is that AI is only relevant to data scientists or engineers. In reality, AI impacts all departments—from HR to marketing to customer support. Training non-technical staff in the basics of AI fosters better cross-functional collaboration, leading to smoother implementations and more impactful outcomes.

5. Promote Innovation and Creativity

Understanding AI unlocks new ways of thinking. With the right training, team members can explore innovative solutions to old problems, experiment with automation, and even co-create with AI-powered tools. This culture of innovation fuels growth and helps attract top talent eager to work at the cutting edge.

6. Mitigate Risk and Ensure Ethical Use

AI isn’t without its challenges—bias, data privacy, and ethical use are major concerns. Training helps your team understand these issues and adopt responsible AI practices. Educated employees are more likely to spot potential risks early and ensure your organization remains compliant with regulations and aligned with ethical standards.

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Conclusion

AI is changing how we work, but its true potential can only be realized when people understand and engage with it effectively. By investing in AI training, you empower your team to navigate this new era with confidence, creativity, and competence.

Whether you’re starting small or scaling up your AI capabilities, training is the foundation of sustainable, long-term success. Explore our AI training programs today and start building a smarter team for tomorrow.

How Long Does a Food Hygiene Certificate Last?

The Level 2 Food Hygiene certificate is the most popular food safety course, but how long does it last, and when do you need to renew it?

The three levels of Food Hygiene Certificate are the most popular and most widely recognised qualifications when it comes to working with food, whether that means on the production line, in a kitchen, or even in retail. However, many people will wonder how long these certificates actually last, and whether or not they’ll need to reapply for them at regular intervals.

The truth is that there is no set time that a certificate in food hygiene is valid. However, a number of factors will determine how often the course should be retaken, and we’re going to take a look at them in this article.

What Is a Food Hygiene Certificate?

A food hygiene certificate is awarded to anyone who successfully completes a food hygiene training course. It indicates that an individual has learned everything required for a certain level of food health and safety training, which may be a necessary requirement for certain roles in the catering or culinary industry.

Food hygiene and safety training covers everything from food law and the ways in which food should safely be handled and prepared, to the details of allergens and more. By completing this training and earning a certificate, you demonstrate that you know all the relevant information about food safety and hygiene, which should mean that you uphold the standards and procedures you have been taught.

Who Needs a Food Hygiene Certificate?

If you have a job that requires you to handle food frequently, whether you’re self-employed or employed in food catering, food retail or food manufacturing, you will be required by law to have a certain level of food hygiene training. This applies if you work in a restaurant, cafe or any other establishment where food is served, prepared or packaged for consumption.

Food handlers that only serve food are not required to have a food hygiene certificate, but it is best industry practice to do so as it shows a high standard of cleanliness. In addition to this, customers are more likely to eat or consume food from a supplier that has a food hygiene certificate.

Employers are responsible for identifying which employees need food hygiene training and providing them with this training, whether it’s in person or online. Failure to do so could result in legal consequences, so it’s always better to give everyone relevant training to make sure you’re covered and seen to be complying.

What Food Hygiene Certificate Do I Need?

If you’re new to the food hygiene certificates, understanding what they cover may help you decide how often you, your colleagues or employees may need to take them. In general, most people take either Level 1, 2 or 3 Food Hygiene and Safety courses depending on their role and the level of risk that their responsibilities involve.

A Level 2 Food Hygiene and Safety certificate satisfies a food handler’s legal obligation for food safety training in the workplace. Level 3 Food Hygiene and Safety training is required by managers and food supervisors, whereas a Level 1 Food Hygiene and Safety certificate is a good introductory course for those practising food safety at home or who work in a catering environment but don’t often handle food.

Formerly known as the Foundation or Basic Food Hygiene, the Level 2 Food Safety & Hygiene for Catering course is aimed at professionals working with food, or the management of food professionals. It can be used during the induction phase, as awareness, as a refresher course or as foundation training.

The Level 2 certificate is the middle level of the three options and is designed for most people working with food and drink who aren’t supervisors or those who are responsible for implementing policy. This course, RoSPA assured, is a self-study course and allows all catering businesses, regardless of size, to provide all of their staff with first-class training.

A Food Hygiene Level 2 certification is one that most workers will need because it gives a good understanding of food hygiene. Depending on the nature of your role, you may also need to undertake other specific training courses that relate directly to your line of work including catering, retail and manufacturing.

How to Get a Food Hygiene Certificate

Getting a food hygiene certificate is a necessary step for employees that work in catering or food production. In most cases, your employer will organise and provide the relevant training courses for you to complete when you start the role and then regularly if your training needs refreshing.

Food hygiene certificates can be attained through training within the workplace, online e-learning in your own time, or through relevant prior experience. Online training providers like Purple Path are a great option to allow employees to complete their training at a time and in a location that suits them.

Courses that allow learners to work in their own time when they are most productive and have proven to be most effective, cost-efficient and quicker. The costs of hiring a teacher and a classroom to teach employees are eradicated and can be utilised in other areas of the business.

How Much Is a Food Hygiene Certificate?

The cost of a food hygiene course certificate will depend on the type of training and the format in which this training is delivered. In-person training tends to be more expensive, whilst online training is cheaper because it can be done at any time.

At Purple Path, our food safety training courses start at just £12.00 and increase in price depending on the length of the course and the amount of content it involves.

Most food hygiene courses give you a digital certificate to indicate your participation, so if you want to print this out, you’ll usually have to pay for it yourself.

How Long Does a Food Hygiene Certificate Last?

While there is no expiry date on food hygiene certificates, it is widely recognised within the industry that renewal should take place every three years. Some employers, however, may require their staff to renew their certifications every year as part of their ongoing workplace training.

Food employers have the freedom to decide when they feel a refresher course is necessary for their workforce. Usually re-training occurs when there has been a change in food legislation or technical developments in food hygiene.

When you pass the course and receive your certificate it will have no expiry on it, and in theory you’d be free to use it on your CV indefinitely. However, you’d have to ask yourself if you’d feel comfortable saying that you still had all of the relevant skills and knowledge five years later.

Would you be able to remember everything you had learnt? This is especially important given that this is a matter of health and safety – poor food hygiene can result in illnesses and can be particularly severe when it comes to allergies. It’s not worth the risk, and as a result, individuals may wish to retake the course whenever they feel as though they need a refresher, whether as part of their role or when they’re applying for new ones.

Aside from this, certain bodies will insist upon certain intervals between the course being retaken. For example, the NHS requires that anyone needing the certificate renews it every 12 months, and this may well apply to businesses contracted to deliver NHS services too.

Similarly, local authorities may require that those working with food in schools have to take the course every year or two. As a general rule, the food and drinks industry as a whole has set the limit at about three years for retaking the certificate, and you’ll find that most organisations stick to this. It ensures that everyone is fully trained and knowledgeable, as opposed to simply ticking a box.

One of the most important points to note is that a certificate in food hygiene can be taken online in a matter of hours, which means that there’s no excuse for not retaking it when you need to. It’s a straightforward e-learning course that can be completed in chunks, either in free time or at work.

EU Regulation 852/2004 requires food businesses to ensure any staff who handles food are supervised, instructed and trained in food hygiene in a way that is appropriate for the work they do. As a business owner or supervisor, you must comply with the provisions of Regulation (EC) 852/2004 of the European Parliament on the Hygiene of Foodstuffs, the Food Safety Act 1990, and the Food Hygiene Regulations 2005.

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Is a Food Hygiene Certificate Required by Law – FAQs

• Do you need a food hygiene certificate to serve tea and coffee?

There’s no specific requirement for people serving tea and coffee to have a certain level of food hygiene training, but it’s generally recommended that you have a certification if you’re going to be serving hot beverages to customers. Making coffee and tea still involves handling products that other people will consume, and food hygiene training will help ensure that you do this safely.

• What food hygiene certificate do I need to open a cafe?

If you’re opening and running a cafe, the best level of food hygiene training for you would be the Level 3 course, which is geared towards managers and supervisors and provides an in-depth look at all the different aspects of workplace food health and safety. This isn’t a mandatory qualification for cafe owners, but will definitely be the most useful.

• What food hygiene certificate do I need to sell cakes from home?

If you decide to bake and sell cakes from home, several legal requirements ensure you’re following the necessary steps to keep your food preparation environment safe and minimise the risk of contamination. A Level 2 certificate in food hygiene and safety is the most relevant for someone running a cake business from home and will cover everything you need to know.

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Summary

The majority of people that work in catering, hospitality or the culinary industry will need a food hygiene course certificate, which means that they’ll also need to know about food hygiene certificate renewal.

Whilst these qualifications never officially run out, it’s important to be accountable for knowing when you need a refresher in your training to ensure that you continue to uphold the necessary food hygiene standards to keep yourself and everyone else safe.

Why Investing in Staff Training Is Essential

In today’s fast-paced and ever-evolving business landscape, one of the most valuable investments a company can make is in its people. Whether you’re a growing SME or a large organisation, ongoing staff training is not just a “nice to have” — it’s a strategic necessity.

At Purple Path, we’ve worked with businesses across the UK to deliver impactful training programmes that empower employees, drive productivity, and future-proof operations. Here’s why training your staff should be at the top of your business agenda:

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1. Boosted Productivity and Efficiency

Well-trained employees are more confident in their roles and better equipped to perform tasks efficiently and accurately. Training helps reduce errors, streamline workflows, and boost overall productivity. This is particularly important in sectors where compliance, safety, and technical proficiency are essential—such as health and social care, construction, or finance.

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2. Improved Employee Retention

Investing in your staff shows you value their development. In the UK, where skills shortages are affecting many sectors, retaining top talent is critical. Employees who feel supported and see clear development pathways are more likely to stay with a company long-term. Training fosters loyalty and reduces costly staff turnover.

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3. Closing Skills Gaps

The UK labour market is facing increasing pressure to keep up with digital transformation, AI, and sector-specific regulations. Regular training ensures your team stays up to date with industry standards, new technologies, and legal requirements. This not only improves performance but also helps businesses remain competitive.

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4. Better Customer Experience

Well-trained employees are more confident and capable in their roles, which translates into better service for your clients or customers. Whether it’s through improved communication skills, faster problem-solving, or enhanced product knowledge, training directly impacts customer satisfaction and brand reputation.

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5. Enhanced Innovation and Adaptability

A culture of continuous learning fosters creativity and innovation. When your team is equipped with new skills and encouraged to think differently, they are more likely to bring fresh ideas and solutions to the table. This adaptability is crucial for navigating economic uncertainty and market changes — something UK businesses are no stranger to.

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6. Compliance and Risk Reduction

Many industries in the UK are subject to stringent regulatory requirements. Training helps ensure your staff understand and adhere to laws around health & safety, data protection (including GDPR), safeguarding, and more. This reduces the risk of non-compliance, fines, and reputational damage.

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Staff training isn’t just about ticking boxes — it’s about building a resilient, skilled, and motivated workforce. Whether you’re upskilling your current team or onboarding new talent, a well-structured training programme can deliver measurable benefits to your organisation.

At Purple Path, we offer flexible, high-impact training solutions tailored to your business needs —delivered online, on-site, or in a blended format. Let us help you unlock your team’s potential and drive your business forward.

Ready to invest in your team’s future?

Get in touch with us today to explore our training programmes.

Microsoft Office Training

At Purple Path, we have a range of options to support businesses and individuals with training on various Microsoft Office applications.

Why look at onsite Microsoft Office training?

• Personalised training tailored to your needs and requirements
• We bring laptop computers with relevant Microsoft Office application(s) (and the same version currently being used onsite by the end users)
• Training for up to 8 delegates per session
• Takeaway training notes and guides (available online and to download or print, as required)
• Work with a Microsoft Office Specialist
• Cross train in multiple Microsoft Office applications, as needed

Our Microsoft Office Core Workshops cover most people’s needs and are the more traditional way that we deliver this training. You can find more information on each of the applications we provide training for below. That said, if you want to ‘mix and match’ some of the content, then please contact our training team to discuss your requirements.

• Microsoft Excel (Introduction / Intermediate / Advanced / Visual Basic VBA)
• Microsoft PowerPoint (Introduction / Advanced)
• Microsoft Word (Introduction / Intermediate / Advanced)
• Microsoft Access (Introduction / Intermediate / Advanced)
• Microsoft Project (The Fundamentals)
• Microsoft Outlook (Introduction / Advanced)
• Microsoft SharePoint (Site Owner / User)

Webinar Training / Support

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We can also offer live web-based training through a shared screen experience with one of our Microsoft Office training specialists.

This provides ‘bite-sized’ training and can be tailored to the specific needs of the business and the delegates being trained. Delegates would dial in and speak directly to the training consultant (ideally via head/earphones with a built-in microphone).

This style of training works well when you have a smaller group of people being trained to help reduce costs, but also if you have specific requirements and want to cover different elements from one of the Microsoft Office applications in a shorter space of time.

Case Studies

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We have provided Microsoft Office training to a range of businesses and organisations around the UK, including the NHS, Dixons Carphone, Princes (a Mitsubishi Corporation company).

You can read more about some of the training we have delivered below.

• HotelREZ – Microsoft Excel Onsite Training
• Raphael Healthcare – Microsoft Excel, Word and Outlook Onsite Training

How will GDPR affect your Business?

The General Data Protection Regulation (known as GDPR, and formally as EU regulation 2016/679) is a law coming into force in 2018 that is designed to ensure that all EU citizens have improved control over their own data, and that the law is unified across the EU. In an age where customer data is gathered at a rapid pace, in bulk, and with no certainty over how it may be used, the EU feels that it is important that the general public have a much better understanding and say in how their data is used. GDPR will have fairly large implications for a significant number of UK businesses, especially those that conduct the majority of their business online, or direct to consumers. In this article, we’re going to go through the specifics of it, what it will mean for your business in practice, and how you can prepare.

GDPR Legislation

GDPR legislation was adopted in April 2016, with a two year transition period to allow for businesses to understand and prepare for it. On the 25th May 2018, it will become fully enforceable, which means that all relevant EU businesses must adhere to it or face potential prosecution. As GDPR is an EU regulation, rather than a directive, there will be no corresponding UK law introduced, and it will supersede the UK Data Protection Act 1998 where applicable. Fines for failing to adhere to GDPR can run into tens of millions of euros, making this a hugely important consideration.

Scope & Purpose of General Data Protection Regulation

At its core, GDPR means that those that collect and use data in the EU (whether they are based in the EU or not) must have a genuine reason for doing so, that people are aware of what data is held, and that those people can have data erased if they have grounds to do so. One of the most common questions asked in relation to the incoming law is “does GDPR apply to my business?”. GDPR will be applicable to both ‘controllers’ and ‘processors’. Controllers are those that use the data, which would be anyone from a one-person online retailer, to multinational corporations. Processors are any person or grouping that handle the data even if they don’t actually use it. This could for example be a data collection agency or perhaps even your email marketing agency if you use one.

The EU also gives a fairly broad definition as to what personal data actually entails. Their statement on the matter is as follows:

“Personal data is any information relating to an individual, whether it relates to his or her private, professional or public life. It can be anything from a name, a home address, a photo, an email address, bank details, posts on social networking websites, medical information, or a computer’s IP address.”

In addition, the EU sets out a variety of reasons that a controller or processor might have legal grounds for collecting and retaining such data:

• the data subject has given consent to the processing of his or her personal data for one or more specific purposes.
• processing is necessary for the performance of a contract to which the data subject is party or in order to take steps at the request of the data subject prior to entering into a contract.
• processing is necessary for compliance with a legal obligation to which the controller is subject.
• processing is necessary in order to protect the vital interests of the data subject or of another natural person.
• processing is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority vested in the controller.
• processing is necessary for the purposes of the legitimate interests pursued by the controller or by a third party, except where such interests are overridden by the interests or fundamental rights and freedoms of the data subject which require protection of personal data, in particular where the data subject is a child.

In Practice & Being Prepared

In practice, GDPR will mean that small and large businesses alike will need to make sure that they have a sound legal reason or collecting data that they do, or they have acquired specific consent for doing it. These are the two biggest considerations to make. Even if you run a small cafe and want to collect emails from customers so you can inform them of promotions or events, then you must explain why, and gain their consent.

There is still time for businesses to get their affairs in order before GDPR becomes enforceable. Larger organisations should have their IT department working on the transition, but small businesses need to be thinking about their plans too.

There is a fairly large number of resources freely available to help, but those businesses that believe GDPR will have a significant impact should undertake training.

Some of the major considerations and questions you should think about prior to the enforcement date include the following:

Understanding & Awareness – Does everyone relevant in the business understand what GDPR entails, and what their particular responsibilities to it are? Are there specific people responsible for overseeing GDPR implementation? Do they need to learn about GDPR in detail?

Currently Held Data – Do you have comprehensive knowledge of what data you currently hold about EU citizens, and do you need to conduct an audit?

Privacy Policy – Will your privacy policy need updating to reflect the changes? Have you thought about how this is going to happen?

Dealing with Requests – Under GDPR, citizens will be able to make access requests to find out what data is stored about them. Have you considered how you will deal with these requests?

Lawful Processing – Have you considered the legal basis for collecting the information that you do? Do you need to gain consent?

Gaining Consent – What processes are you going to put in place to make sure you have consent from your customers/users, and how will you store this? If you are collecting information on children, how will you gain consent from their parent or guardian?

Cyber security – GDPR requires that any data breaches are reported swiftly – do you have policies in place to guard against them, and do you know how to report a breach?

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ASSOCIATED TRAINING COURSES

Online Training Options   

• The Essentials of GDPR
• Data Protection at Work

Onsite Training Courses / Workshops   

• Data Protection Training – Level 2
• EU GDPR Technical Workshop
• EU GDPR Awareness Workshop

Customer Service – Key Skills

Customer Service is at the heart of every organisation. It is not simply a department, but the responsibility of everyone in your organisation to know how to provide good (if not great) service to all of your customers.

How you work and deal with customer requests and enquiries can shape your business and those that do it well and understand the importance of looking after your customers will see return business and the retention of customers.

We have put together a list of 13 key Customer Service skills that will help you and your organisation stand out from the crowd!

• Patience
• Attentiveness
• Clear Communication Skills
• Knowledge of the Product or Service
• Ability to Use “Positive Language”
• Time Management Skills
• Ability to “Read” Customers
• A Calming Presence
• Goal Oriented Focus
• Ability to Handle Surprises
• Persuasion Skills
• Tenacity
• Willingness to Learn

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Customer Service Training

Here at Purple Path, we have a range of online and onsite training, looking at the importance of providing great Customer Service. Our online training workshops provide insights into how you can effectively work with and manage Customers.

When it comes to onsite training, we have a range of tailored courses, from some of the very talented and inspirational training consultants.

Leaders And Managers – Investing in the Future

Identifying and developing the next generation of managers and leaders is an essential task and the responsible approach taken by businesses that understand that bringing through their own talent is not only cost effective but ensures that the business culture and strategic direction remains an integral part of operations for the long term.

The 7 Principles of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) System

HACCP is pro-active system of managing food risk and was originally developed by NASA scientists in the 1950s in order to protect astronauts from food poisoning whilst on space missions, something that could prove catastrophic.

Later the EU and most developed countries had implemented HACCP principles into food safety law.

Within businesses, the HACCP system is developed by owners and managers however responsibility for its implementation lies with all of the employees of the business.

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The 7 core principles of HACCP

HACCP is based on the following seven key principles:

1. Conduct a hazard analysis – Inspect your environment meticulously to identify where any food safety hazards are, and the amount of risk that each of these hazards carry. A food hazard can be any chemical, biological or physical element that effects food safety.

2. Identify critical control points– A critical control point (CCP) is a step in a food handling process where controls can be applied to prevent or reduce any food safety hazard. Food businesses should identify controls which can be carried out to prevent the hazards identified.

3. Establish critical limits – Decide on specific safety limits to adhere to, these may be based on scientific research. For example, you might need to determine a minimum and maximum temperature level as a control for food stored in a refrigerator.

4. Establish monitoring procedures – Monitoring procedures need to then be implemented to ensure that critical control points are controlling the identified hazards. For example, if your control is based on temperature levels then you may action temperature checks and use monitoring forms to record times that these observations have been carried out.

5. Establish corrective actions – Corrective actions should be taken when a critical limit is likely to be, or has been exceeded. For example, if the fridge temperature becomes too high then you might relocate food to a fridge at the correct temperature, call an engineer or contact a manager.

6. Verify procedures – Each critical control point needs to be verified and checked regularly to ensure that the best procedures are in place to reduce and prevent hazards.

7. Document procedures – Every HACCP based system must be well documented using charts, instructions, monitoring records etc. This is to ensure that the system is working correctly and everyone is taking responsibility for food safety. An inspector will also ask to see hazard analysis system records.

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Related training courses

• Understanding HACCP
• HACCP Level 2
• HACCP Level 3
• HACCP for Supervisors and Managers