Mercator d. d.

Member of the board for general, legal and personnel matters: Vera Aljančič Falež
Proposer: Slovenian Tourist Board

Mercator plans and aims its educational activities primarily at its employees, since it abides by the principle that the satisfaction and professionalism of employees are reflected in the quality of services and satisfaction of customers. The company has devised and implemented several original solutions that are important for a culture of learning and advancement within its own ranks, and here we would like to mention especially the network of internal teachers, the e-library where all internal literature is available, and the programme of education at the workplace. In exceptions they also enable enhancement outside the company. Through training at the Mercator Commercial Academy they educate their promising personnel. They reimburse employees for the costs of education and facilitate occasional training abroad, since they need to be familiar with global trends.

Alongside training for employees, Mercator also provides important support for educational activities in the city, in schools, libraries, Mercator centres and elsewhere. Mercator has also been helping to revive the vocation of sales assistant. In 2008 the majority of managers from across Slovenia enrolled in their management school. They present their activities, achievements and challenges to various target groups, such as students at faculties, unions, schools and others. They also cooperate with institutions and other providers of education programmes, which they support as sponsors or donors. In recent years there has been especially precious cooperation with the Committee for Youth and Education at the Slovenian Tourist Board. They enabled its festival Your Own Head Helps Tourism to present the fruits of labour of the new generation of tourism workers in schools, as well as the originality of the first tourist steps in kindergartens, at Mercator centres throughout Slovenia. Mercator's role in promoting the culture of learning is therefore all-embracing and for that reason invaluable for the general public.