IDDBA Training

Introducing the new IDDBA training site!

This is where you will find training materials and opportunity for professional development for all levels of retailer or supplier associates to learn and grow within their current position as well as prepare for the next.

Retail Associate Training

Associates of all levels are encouraged to use the courses to learn about, or refresh their knowledge in, bakery, cake decorating, specialty cheese, deli meats, and food safety. There are quick videos for each topic followed by a short quiz to test the knowledge gained. Pass the quiz to earn a certificate of completion.

Resource Library (members only)

The resource library is where downloadable and printable job guides and workbooks are found. Most job guides also have a Spanish version.

Job guides are a quick one-page reference sheet that can be used as a helpful reminder for new staff or those who don’t frequently perform that task. From product knowledge to food safety, they cover many useful topics.

Workbooks are more in-depth training for managing the specialty cheese, deli, and bakery departments, customer service, and food safety. These include a quiz and answer key for self-assessment.

Certificate Exams

The IDDBA offers two certificate exams, one for deli/bakery department managers and one for charcuterie professionals.

Deli/Bakery department managers are invited to take this on-demand exam at a time that works best for them. Passing the 100-question exam and earning the certificate will show they are proficient in food safety, inventory, staffing, operations, and merchandising (for a more detailed exam content outline, please click here). Along with on-the-job and employer-provided training, IDDBA offers additional supplemental resources. Those resources are the workbooks and job guides located in the Resource Library, also on the IDDBA training site.

Charcuterie professionals can earn the title IDDBA Certified Salumiere by passing an intense 100-question proctored exam. To earn this recognition, they will have proven strong knowledge in these areas of charcuterie:

Preparation of Charcuterie Products for Merchandising
Marketing/Sales, including Customer Service, Merchandising
Product Handling
Business Practices and Finance
Safety and Sanitation Regulations

For more information and registration for the Charcuterie Professional Certification exam including exam content and recommended reading, click here.

On-Demand Professional Development

Interested in quick training for professional development? The IDDBA has made accessing training for all levels and all disciplines in your organization easy and affordable. We have over 80 lessons created by the American Management Association (AMA), ranging from 15-minutes to 90-minutes in length.

These on-demand sessions cover managing and mastering data, offer tips on time management, encourage creativity and innovation, and focus on sharpening communication skills, to name a few. Select a lesson and complete it at your convenience.

Whether you are customer-facing, analyzing data, giving presentations, or working with a team in other capacities, there is something here for you.

Questions? We’re happy to help. Email us at education@iddba.org.