MANAGERS at a chain of convenience stores are combining their work with learning through a University of Teesside course.

Since last September, the university and Sainsbury's at Bells have been working together in the delivery of a new qualification designed for managers in the business.

The managers join in-house training workshops followed by written assessments and presentations, all of which are work-based and relevant to their day-to- day role.

If they complete the course successfully, each manager will be awarded an accredited University Certificate in Advanced Personal Development.

Darren Bodycote, the manager of the Dormanstown store, near Redcar, is one of eight managers taking part in the pilot course, which focuses on managerial skills.

The 27-year-old from Brotton said: "The first assignment was based on opening a new store and planning how we would develop a new team.

"We had to explore every element from recruitment through to ensuring we trained the team and evaluated the process."