ELECTROLUX Outdoor Products has been awarded with the Investors in People standard for its employee development programme.

The announcement comes as hundreds of Electrolux workers in County Durham, at plants in Newton Aycliffe and Spennymoor, are waiting to hear if their jobs will go in a shake-up at the Swedish giant.

The Newton Aycliffe site manufactures Flymo, Partner and McCulloch gardening brands and employs a core workforce of 600 people, rising to 1,000 during peak seasonal production activity.

The Spennymoor operation, which manufactures cookers, employs about 600 full time staff and 200 part-time.

In 1999, the company closed its refrigeration plant in Spennymoor with the loss of 650 jobs. Since 1997, Electrolux has axed more than 14,000 jobs worldwide. Its worldwide workforce currently numbers about 86,500.

Commenting on the IIP success Bob Stratford, human resources director at the Newton Aycliffe site of Electrolux, said: "The phenomenal growth of Electrolux Outdoor Products and our market leading brands has been achieved through the skills and abilities of its employees - from the shop floor to the boardroom.

"The IIP accreditation is an expression of our commitment to the highest standards of people development, which have culminated in huge improvements in productivity and profitability, motivation, staff retention and high quality staff recruitment."