Notes and news

Citation

Pollitt, D. (2016), "Notes and news", Industrial and Commercial Training, Vol. 48 No. 2. https://doi.org/10.1108/ICT-12-2015-0080

Notes and news

Article Type: Notes and news From: Industrial and Commercial Training, Volume 48, Issue 2.

Managers learn from the military élite

Managers from wealth and investment-management firm Sanlam Private Wealth completed a day’s training at the UK’s Sandhurst Military Academy alongside players from Saracens Rugby Club in a program designed to accelerate leadership capabilities in business and sports people.

Those attending – including Under-20 England fly-half Max Malins, England Under-20 full back George Perkins, Philip Smeaton, head of UK equities at Sanlam and Alison Barwell, Sanlam’s head of HR – were put through their paces by Major General Paul Nanson, commandant of Sandhurst, and his team.

Exercises ranged from theoretical, such as the importance of keeping cool under pressure and understanding the opposition, through to physical tests of team work and leadership skills. The team exercises were built around physically exhausting challenges designed to test decision making when fatigued and under strain. Fully armed military personnel ambushed some of the training sessions to challenge the focus of those taking part.

Alison Barwell commented: "The leadership skills required at top-level rugby were very interesting to learn from. The synergies between sport, the military and business were a fascinating aspect of the training, even with armed soldiers trying to put us off."

The action day at Sandhurst was part of a program run and designed by Vic Luck, director of the Foundation for Leadership through Sport (FLS). The course is run over four months and was developed to bring business and sports people together to learn from one another as well as draw on experts from other areas such as the military.

The program consists of workshops at venues ranging from Saracens’ training ground at St Albans to the one at Sandhurst. Between sessions, learning and practice continue in the workplace, with specific tasks designed to deepen and extend the training.

The FLS-Saracens initiative is the culmination of more than two years of Sanlam working closely with Saracens on a personal-development program. As a sponsor of the team the company has also hosted work experience for players such as scrum-half Neil de Kock, as well as offering support such as financial tutorials for the club.

Alison Barwell continued: "This was completely different from your standard training program. We take the development of in-house talent seriously and believe that, for effective leadership development, organizations must stretch themselves by looking outside their own business and team. It has been fantastic to have the opportunity for our leaders to learn and develop side by side with the Saracens Academy players. The day at Sandhurst was the jewel in the crown on the course – although it might take some time to recover!"

As part of Sanlam’s Women’s Network and Personal Development Program, Alison Barwell has also been working with Captain Richard Grimsdell on the mentoring of female cadets. In addition, two female cadets will benefit from work placements at Sanlam’s London offices.

Farmfoods shortlisted for training award

A Farmfoods induction program that not only welcomes new employees to the company but also helps to identify potential managers has been shortlisted for a Learning and Performance Institute (LPI) award.

The frozen-food retailer worked with e-learning provider Sponge UK to develop the blended induction program, which includes e-learning modules supported with on-the-job training and workbooks. All employees are able to progress through the training to branch-manager level, no matter what their job title. This is helping Farmfoods to retain staff, identify talent and promote from within the company.

The training has been shortlisted in the LPI’s Learning Awards 2016 in the category of Onboarding Program of the Year.

Ronnie Morgan, head of training and development at Farmfoods, said: "We have already started to see the benefits of our new onboarding program, which has not only enhanced our staff training but is also helping us to nurture our talent for the future."

Farmfoods launched the induction training in January 2015. More than 3,500 staff throughout the UK have completed it.

Louise Pasterfield, managing director of Sponge UK, said: "Farmfoods has embraced innovative ideas in its onboarding program and used learning technologies to their full advantage to deliver benefits to the business."

Holcim Australia reaches the finals

The sales academy of building materials and aggregates company Holcim Australia is a finalist in the best implementation of a Blended Learning Solution category in the Australian Institute of Training and Development awards.

Holcim learners complete an online learning unit, apply this learning on-the-job, attend face-to-face workshops, complete a written assignment and then receive an internationally recognized qualification.

Since launching the program, Holcim has seen improved sales performance across the business. Its learners have also shown high levels of engagement with the training and have earned almost 300 Institute of Sales and Marketing Management awards.

The award entry was made jointly with learning-technologies company Growth Engineering. As well as licensing Growth Engineering’s Academy learning-management system (LMS), Holcim also licensed its library of interactive sales-training content, accredited by the Institute of Sales and Marketing Management, and based its learning program around this content.

Holcim Australia is a member of LafargeHolcim,which has more than 115,000 employees and operates in 90 countries around the globe. Its Australian operations employ 3,500 people and its supply chain spans the nation.

Unity Kitchen people celebrate their achievements

Gold-medal winner and world-record-holding Paralympian Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson presented 18 catering apprentices and trainees with their certificates.

Each of the apprentices and trainees has a disability. The qualifications were gained through a scheme run by Unity Kitchen, the social-enterprise arm of disability charity the Camden Society.

Over 12 months six apprentices from Unity Kitchen outlets worked in all sections of its cafés at Tooley Street, Firepower, Flapjacks and Timber Lodge at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. Some concentrated on customer service while others demonstrated their culinary flair, all essential ingredients to ensure customers are happy and that the apprentices achieve their Level 2 NVQ diploma in hospitality services. They also attended Westminster Kingsway College one day a week to achieve their functional-skills qualification.

Unity Kitchen also celebrated the achievement of its 12 trainees from New Horizons, Firepower, Café 311 and Jackson’s cafés. They achieved a Level 1 or 2 NVQ diploma in hospitality services.

The apprentices are currently making career plans with the help of the Camden Society’s employment teams. All will get support to search for jobs and apply to vacancies to build their careers.

Yeliz Dizman, from Enfield, graduated from the Camden Society’s Café 311 in 2014 and successfully applied for an apprentice chef position at Unity Kitchen Café and events at the Olympic Park. She has proved to be a great asset to the team, demonstrating flair and speed at one of the social enterprise’s busiest cafés. She successfully completed a two-week work-experience placement at the five-star Waldorf Hotel in May 2015 and has recently achieved her Level 2 award in food production and cooking.

Southwark-based Marcus Luchman graduated from Lewisham and Southwark College’s catering course in 2013. He works one day a week at Rhubarb & Custard Café, Lewisham. He went to apply for an apprenticeship at Flapjacks café in Camden. He undertook two weeks of work experience at Ottolenghi’s production kitchen in Camden Town and completed a Level 2 award in food production and cooking in July 2015. He has been for a number of interviews and has been offered two posts. The Camden Society is working with him to make some choices and find a job that meets his skills.

Adam Biggs, from Greenwich, is an apprentice chef at Unity Kitchen at the Firepower Museum in Woolwich. He had already completed a Level 1 award in cooking but was determined to attempt a Level 2 in food production and cooking, which he achieved last July. He successfully completed a two-week work-experience placement at Casa Grande, making fresh pasta. He recently got a job at the Royal Parks – Greenwich Pavilion café.

Tanni Grey-Thompson commented: "Unity Kitchen is a pioneering scheme in the way that it enables those with learning disabilities to get into the industry. Having the Unity Kitchen Café at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park is another way of fulfilling the legacy of the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics and it is has proved to be a great place for the graduates to fulfill their apprenticeships and training."

Norton Healthcare wins bronze

Norton Healthcare, one of the largest integrated health-care systems in Kentucky, won a Bronze Award for Excellence in the Best Advance in Learning Technology Implementation category of the Brandon Hall Group awards.

The entry described how Norton Healthcare implemented a new LMS to power Norton University, the company’s training, education and development arm.

Al Cornish, chief learning officer at Norton Healthcare, commented: "This award acknowledges the meticulous process we implemented to find the right LMS for our compliance needs and the launch of an effective new system to thousands of learners that depend on Norton University."

The entries were evaluated based on the criteria of: fit the need; design of the program; functionality; innovation; and overall measurable benefits.

Sofitel London Heathrow teams up with project search

Sofitel London Heathrow is one of 14 sites across the UK working with Remploy and Project Search to help to give young people with learning disabilities the skills to gain paid employment.

Project Search offers internships for young people with learning disabilities with large employers. Sofitel London Heathrow is working with ten students from Ealing and Hillingdon councils and Hammersmith and West London College. The interns are working for the hotel for nine months. The internship also includes on-site classroom time with a tutor from the college to assess how their day has gone and to learn other communication, problem-solving and job skills.

During their time at the hotel, the interns will work across three junior operational roles in the hotel – one in each term – with roles in the staff canteen, the kitchen, guest relations, meetings and events, room service, restaurant and house-keeping. Over the year, the hotel aims to teach students new skills as well as providing them with the self-confidence that will help in the development of their future.

Anna Dowling, general manager of the hotel, commented: "This is our first time working with Project Search and we are probably learning as much as the students in these early days, but misconceptions of ability are something these young adults struggle with every day, and to be able to watch as they gain confidence and skills over the weeks is exciting."

The hotel is working alongside two job coaches who are based on-site and are there to support the interns to develop in their roles. Project Search’s ambition is to change the way people think and challenge their ideas about what people with a learning disability can do. It hopes to raise expectations of employability and help the public to see people with learning disabilities hard at work as part of everyday life. By the end of the program the aim is that they will have gained the confidence and skills to acquire employment either in the hotel or elsewhere.

Halal training agreement sealed

The Halal Industry Development Corporation (HDC) of Malaysia and training company Edtrin have sealed an agreement on delivering education and training programs to the global Halal industry which are expected to reach more than a million people over the next three years.

"This strategic partnership will enhance the e-learning and e-training programs to the global Halal industry," said HDC’s chief executive, Dato Seri Jamil Bidin.

Under the public-private initiative, Edtrin and HDC will collaborate in the development and delivery of Halal-related education and training, including Halal awareness, food science, logistics, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, funding, innovation and entrepreneurship.

Edtrin will develop the e-training courseware for blended-learning delivery to global markets. HDC will certify the courses.

Dato Seri Jamil Bidin commented: "There are more than 1.6 billion Muslims worldwide. We estimate that there are millions of students and workers who are keen to further their understanding of Halal."

Graeme Coomber, Edtrin chief executive, said: "We recognize that the demand for Halal courseware is highly dispersed around the globe and this complements Edtrin’s vision of providing life-long education and training to the global community."

The first course – an introductory awareness to Halal – will be available in English and Bahasa, followed by Mandarin, Japanese, French, German and Spanish.

Awards come at the double for engineering consultancy

Services Design Solution, a mechanical and electrical-engineering consultancy, was named Employer of the Year in the latest Young Engineers’ Awards, run by the Chartered Institute of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE).

Managing directors Shaun Hoppins and Richard Johns, who founded SDS ten years ago, said the awards were a credit to their team’s training and development initiatives and the hard work of their apprentices and graduates.

Shaun Hoppins said: "As a small consultancy it was extremely rewarding to win CIBSE’s Employer of the Year award for our business category and astounding to win the overall category against prestigious national and international practices."

SDS employs around 50 staff and specializes in the design of heating, ventilation, air conditioning, electrical and public-health systems for projects ranging from offices, airports, defence establishments and historic structures.

Training for SDS’s graduate employees, junior technicians and apprentices is a priority. Richard Johns said: "During the last 24 months we have implemented a professional-qualifications training scheme as a road-map for freshly qualified young engineers to achieve accreditation.

"Our structured training plan targets the technical and personal development of young engineers to become competent. The training plan is developed during staff appraisals and is reviewed and updated by the trainee’s line manager and personal mentor."

In common with many engineering companies, SDS says recruiting the right caliber of engineers is increasingly challenging. Richard Johns said: "We have worked with schools at both primary and secondary level to try to help them in promoting our specialism."

"This includes working with a local primary school on a scheme named Widening Horizons to raise levels of aspirations and interest in engineering. We also support a local secondary school in its career-academies mentoring program, in addition to providing opportunities for work experience and summer placements."

Airport apprenticeships help careers to take off

The training academy at London’s Heathrow airport has saved the UK Government’s benefits bill about £8 million through its work filling skill gaps and giving local people jobs over the 11 years of its operation, said airport chief executive John Holland-Kaye.

Heathrow Academy’s team of recruiters, trainers, assessors and mentors provides local people with the training and support to get into work at the airport. Over the 11 years since the academy was established, more than 5,000 local residents – from school-leaving age upwards – have been placed into further training opportunities and more than 3,000 have been placed directly into work at the airport.

In total, over 76,500 people are employed at Heathrow. More than half of them live in the five boroughs – Slough, Spelthorne, Hounslow, Hillingdon, Ealing – closest to the airport.

Heathrow Airport has invested more than £4 million in the growth of the academy. Should Heathrow expansion go ahead, the airport has promised to offer 10,000 apprenticeships over the course of the project.

John Holland-Kaye said: "The academy gives an opportunity for talented local people to fulfill their potential through one of the many amazing careers open to them at Heathrow. My aim is that a future chief executive of Heathrow will come from one of our local communities – and his or her journey may well start at the academy."

There are three strands to Heathrow Academy services – recruitment, apprenticeship and development – all of which support Heathrow employers to continually improve service standards through their people.

Aston Martin drives ahead with more apprentices

Luxury British sports-car maker Aston Martin has announced ten more apprenticeships to add to the almost 40 apprentices it currently employs at its modern factory and global headquarters at Gaydon, Warwickshire.

The apprentices will join the business on a four-year fixed contract to learn their trade in one of the following areas: paint, trim, maintenance, control engineering and robotics, or manufacturing engineering.

Aston Martin learning and development manager Karen Botting said: "Our ongoing commitment to growth means we must constantly assess our skills balance and staffing needs. It is vital that we are able to transfer the extensive skills and knowledge of our workforce to a new generation in order to ensure the continuity of our developing business."

Aston Martin chief executive Andy Palmer said: "As a strong advocate of apprenticeships – I started my automotive career in just such a role – I am very happy that we are able to offer more young people this valuable opportunity".

"The success of our plan for the enhanced global growth of the Aston Martin brand and significant expansion of our exciting product portfolio is, clearly, fundamental to this business but, through initiatives such as this, it is also clearly bringing real, long-term, benefits to a number of young people."

Airline’s scholarship scheme soars

The American Airlines education foundation has awarded $560,000 to 210 children of employees. Each recipient will receive a $2,500 scholarship and first-generation college students will each receive an additional one-time award of $1,000.

"Awarding these scholarships has a significant impact for employees and their families," said Elise Eberwein, executive vice-president – people and communications.

The application process is competitive and scholarships are awarded based on financial need, academic achievement, extra-curricular involvement and commitment to community service. The education foundation received more than 500 applications. A team of 80 reviewers, comprised of education and business people, scored the applications.

The foundation is an expansion of the former US Airways education foundation, which has awarded $5 million in competitive scholarships since 1999. Gifts from American’s vendors and employees fund the foundation.

BellaVista Promotions puts the focus on soft skills

BellaVista Promotions believes that soft skills are an undervalued resource and urges small businesses to invest in developing them.

The company advises adopting three steps:

1. Make it a cultural thing: companies that hire employees on the basis of their soft skills, a positive attitude or time-management skills develop a core team that can set an example as the firm grows. Coaching and training can be used to develop skills to make an individual an expert in his or her field, but it is more difficult to coach an individual to have a positive attitude.

2. Create a competitive environment: investing in soft skills enables business owners to become influential leaders. They then create a strong ethos of hard work and high performance. Leaders should reward positive skills in others.

3. Do not overlook empathy: empathy can promote employee loyalty and build a reputation with business contacts and consumers alike.

Meanwhile, sales firm Skyline Marketing believes that many sports skills can be transferred into a business environment. In particular, a desire to win and a natural competitive nature can help people to succeed. Sports stars often demonstrate these skills and come together to achieve their goals as a team.

The firm has highlighted that typical traits of sports stars include commitment to their sport and to their team, training hard to always become better, having a set routine and structure in place, being extremely competitive, having a desire to win, having the ambition to always improve, being a perfectionist and always striving to be better at what they do. Skyline Marketing believes that each of these skills can be transferred to a business environment.

Managing Director Jamie Talbot ensures that staff are given feedback on their performances and guidance to help them to improve when they have off days. He said that major sport tournaments such as last summer’s Rugby World Cup inspired and motivated people and caused them to compete to be the best.