TRAINING
motivated and engaged group of people. The course culminated in a group-based project that required the two groups to apply and demonstrate their new-found learning in real company projects that would foster team- building skills.
The first was asked to analyse the benefits of product standardisation as a tool for company growth. On closer scrutiny, this group identified the need to prioritise cross- skilling before considering standardisation and had the confidence to produce a meticulous presentation on how to accomplish this instead.
The second group was tasked with identifying improvements, all achievable within a limited budget and timeframe, that would enhance the daily experience at Waterloo. They produced an inspiring presentation on practical measures that could be implemented including specific details of the final outcome and a full costing.
Rising stars
But what did the participants make of the course? James Tierney, the sole representative from the IT department, enjoyed working with people from other departments as it gave him a wider understanding of the company, operationally and culturally. “Learning the range of management styles, how to manage teams of people, and how to implement and manage projects has been extremely useful, especially with the ongoing integration project of our IT systems with the Swegon Group,” he said. Mr Tierney’s strategic analytical abilities particularly impressed, so much so that
we arranged for him to enrol in a modern apprenticeship programme with Intequal to gain industry-recognised qualifications in IT. He recently passed his first exam, Microsoft Networking Fundamentals, with flying colours. “The Intequal Apprenticeship programme has really helped with my infrastructure and networking knowledge,” he continued. “The combination of training sessions, portfolio work, exams and additional learning resources is also enabling me to show I can manage time and workload. I hope that the course continues to educate me and take me to the next stage in my IT career.”
Resilience and adaptability Becky Rutter’s drive, ambition and intelligence also shone on the course. In recent times, we will have all valued the ability to meet challenges head on with an agile response. At Waterloo, when sites closed in response to government guidance on safe distancing and deliveries began to be turned away, we needed to take proactive, operational control over finished goods that were in the logistics channel but were not now going to be possible to deliver as originally planned. We gave Becky, who normally works in the contracts and processing team, the task of monitoring the situation. Putting her new skills into action, she communicated regularly with logistics partners and customers to build and maintain an accurate picture of delivery opportunities where sites were still open. The near real time summary and analysis of the
situation she provided enabled us to focus production resources on deliverable goods and properly control commercial arrangements and storage of returned deliveries. “The training that the Accelerator Course has given me so far has helped me adopt a calmer, more methodical approach to problem resolution and customer contact generally,” said Ms Rutter.
Nurturing home talent Leadership skills are fundamental in times of crisis – and at Waterloo we believe that employers have a role to play in addressing any skills shortage within the industry. We’ve gained real value from assessing the raw talent within our own company and finding the uncut diamonds from within our own candidate pool. Of course, training is a two-way commitment: as a business we financially invest in individuals who must balance the responsibilities of their existing roles with the opportunity to learn and develop leadership skills. Naturally we will lose some along the way. But if just three of our homegrown talent from this programme can guide, shape, and lead key elements of our business for four or five years, we will consider it a success. The last word goes to the trainer. “This was a great group of individuals who have really grown throughout the course,” said Mark Scorgie. “It was a very positive experience for us all.”
www.acr-news.com
August 2020 33
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68
