Management training

Members of the Emplas management team completed an Institute of Management-accredited training programme.

Delivered as part of the fabricator’s continuous business improvement programme, the 10-module ‘Engaging Leadership’ programme was delivered by independent training provider Beyond Theory.

The course covers a range of subjects including customer experience skills, project management, and employee health and well-being.

Judith Chadwick, HR manager at Emplas, said: “It’s really important that our managers have the right skills-set and particularly those skills which allow them to get the most out of the teams that they manage.If we get that right, everyone is more motivated and more productive – something which ultimately translates into better product quality, customer service and support.”

With 15% of its technical and customer services team made up from former or current apprentices, and with ambitions to grow this to 20% across the business by the end of next year, Emplassaid it already has one of the industry’s most established apprenticeships programmes.

The company also believes, however, that it is just as important to focus on the training of the industry’s management, to be successful in up-skilling its workforce.

Kevin Mander, operations QC manager, who completed the course, said: “The programme gave me a lot more confidence and a far better understanding of how to get the most out of the team. You’re often focussed on delivery, so making time to think about how we do things and how they can be improved, was invaluable.We also got to understand other parts of the business better, as well as how your approach can have a big impact on how other people react to you one way or another, either positively, or negatively.”