Learnings after having trained over 31,000 people – for free

Few industries are as strictly controlled as the pharmaceutical industry, and rightly so. We trust these companies to treat our diseases and save lives, and we need to ensure that their products work, while not risking introducing other problems. The control of these products extends throughout all aspects of the industry including the pharmaceutical supply chain, which is also thoroughly regulated and closely monitored.

One might think that in such an environment, there would be standardized industry training programs within the highly sensitive pharmaceutical supply chain, but one would be wrong. Historically, no regulatory body formally regulated training content for the transport of temperature sensitive products within the cold chain.

In the past, every pharmaceutical manufacturer trained its own staff. In turn, their staff trained logistics companies and shipping agents. These procedures were then shared with various transport firms assigned to carry the goods forward. Early training practices of cold chain management were neither formalized, nor regulated or universally endorsed.

Envirotainer steps in

As by far the largest provider of secure cold chain solutions for air transport of pharmaceuticals, we realized that we had a role to fill. In the busy logistics world, companies lacking the resources to write, maintain and administer training materials, today rely on Envirotainer to share its expertise in cold chain management and provide free cold chain training opportunities.

Envirotainer Academy launched its first training course designed to teach correct container loading and handling to reduce the risk of mishandling and protect the integrity of the cold chain.

Since then, our training catalogue has expanded to include not only training on Envirotainer products and services, but other vital industry topics including Quality Management and Good Distribution Practices. This means that staff are not only provided with the necessary knowledge to perform their responsibilities safely and competently, they are also provided with an understanding of the integral part they play in the wider cold chain.

By training over 31,000 learners to date, from over 530 companies on every global continent, the Envirotainer Academy plays an integral part in raising the cold chain training standards. The belief in, and laser focus on, these training standards and the continuous update of information is vitally important for every pharmaceutical supply chain stakeholder.

Training continues to be a priority – now and in the future

The advances in technology and the increased need for distance learning and training on the move is transforming the possibilities within the training sphere. Podcasts and webinars are no longer a rarity but a standard, and virtual and augmented reality training tools for knowledge sharing are being developed at an accelerated pace. Envirotainer not only sees these possibilities but strives to play our part in driving this evolutionary process forward, beginning with the launch of our brand new Envirotainer Academy platform in December 2020, offering a personalized training experience through interactive and intuitive learning, wherever you are in the world.