When it came to the question of who would provide the most valuable school food procurement training, respondents overwhelmingly chose their state agency (67%). While respondents shared that they would like more alignment between local, state, and federal regulations and more support from their state agencies, they still see the latter as the key source for guidance and accurate information on school food procurement rules and regulations. State agencies should consider this perception when building their web pages, creating training resources, and even when conducting site visits or administrative reviews. Other responses mentioned aligning the training provider to the training topic, tailoring training for smaller/rural districts, and local training that takes into consideration different local procurement policies. Respondents would also like trainers who have worked in school food nutrition and procurement, or in a successful school district. They prefer industry representatives to provide vendor-related training, such as ServSafe training. 11 Barriers to Training Most participants (80%) attend trainings during work hours, with 11% saying they always or sometimes pay out of pocket. Only half of districts (52%) consistently provided funds for trainings, though 14% of respondents were unsure if funds were offered. Small and rural SFAs were more likely to face funding or timing challenges, with 18% of respondents from SFAs with fewer than 1,000 students attending trainings outside of regular hours (compared to 0% of survey respondents from SFAs with over 20,000 students). This finding corresponds with their responses to challenges. Small and rural SFAs noted they cannot attend trainings during work hours because of staff shortages, distance, and lack of technology support, especially for those working in the cafeterias. A quarter of respondents found barriers to accessing training, with 55% of those who experienced barriers naming that trainings did not fit their schedule and another 36% not knowing where to find trainings. Other barriers include the state agency not offering any training, state agencies not offering training frequently throughout the year, trainers without sufficient expertise, a lack of district support for staff to attend training, and irrelevant topics. This latter one was mentioned by more experienced respondents who found that the training did not provide them with new information, or the information did not align with their work.
21 Procuring Good Food at School: From Contracts to Lunch Trays |
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