It has been a focus area to prepare and deliver training materials that provide general awareness of ethical sourcing and modern slavery risks under the Wesfarmers Health Ethical Sourcing Program. The training material must also make the topic relevant for team members, so they understand the program in the context of their operational roles and how their actions may improve the lives of workers in Wesfarmers Health’s operations and supply chain.

Building the capacity of teams, such as the Category, Supplier Relationship Management, Indirect Procurement, and Logistics, incorporates them into the ethical sourcing efforts and enables them to better support suppliers.

In pursuit of this capacity building, the Ethical Sourcing team delivered three face-to-face training sessions in the 2023 financial year. The face-to-face training sessions provided background information about the need to ethically source, highlight best industry practice and international standards, flag key ethical sourcing risks and how Wesfarmers Health is addressing them under the program. 

The training also covered the design of the Ethical Sourcing Program and where Wesfarmers Health’s front-line team members should step in and provide support. 

Team member feedback has been positive and further material is being prepared to expand their understanding of ethical sourcing risks in the 2024 financial year.

Wesfarmers Health believes in delivering relevant and quality training to its front-line teams and allowing team members to understand the program is key to running an effective Ethical Sourcing Program. Their enhanced capability and deepened knowledge in ethical sourcing will assist with developing healthy supplier relationships, as well as meeting the expectations of shareholders, customers and the wider community.