The Federation of Wholesale Distributors is to launch the FWD Academy – a year-long programme designed to help businesses embed inclusive leadership and workplace culture.
Marking the next phase of the trade association’s Diversity in Wholesale initiative, the FWD Academy will be delivered in partnership with wellbeing workplace service Elevo.
It will offer a structured programme featuring core learning modules on inclusion and leadership, sector insight and sessions linking learning to wholesale-specific challenges, and provide tools to drive internal engagement.
The FWD Academy will also offer a calendar toolkit to activate key DEI moments year-round and provide certification and impact reporting on completion.
Access is exclusive to the group’s Diversity in Wholesale sponsors (partners), who can offer the programme to all employees across their organisations, including grocery teams.
Participants can engage with the academy via a bespoke online hub, providing access to training materials, webinars and interactive tools.
"The FWD Academy is a game changer for the wholesale sector," said FWD head of external affairs Lyndsey Cambridge. "We're launching the FWD Academy to speak real, lasting change.
"This initiative is about more than just learning; it's about creating a sustainable culture of inclusion and leadership, firmly putting people at the heart of wholesale.
"This boils down to recruitment and retention, and how we as a trade association can support our members to stay ahead of the game when it comes to attracting the best people – and then keeping them. In this climate businesses need to utilise all levers available to stay ahead."
The pilot programme was officially announced at the association's FWD Live annual conference yesterday (12 June).
It will launch on 17 July, running through to December 2025, with a Parliamentary launch planned for autumn at the House of Commons. Full rollout is scheduled for January 2026.
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