Plastics & Rubber World - November/December 2019 - 42

Plastics industry awards 2019

Best training and development
Programme of the year

upskilling for the future

(From left) Shaun Williamson, Caroline Callaghan, QHSE systems manager and
Elizabeth McVeigh, HR manager, both from Rosti Automotive Larkhall, and
Richard Brown, MD at RJG Technologies

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raining and development can help
to build an enduring relationship between a company and its staff.
It's a reciprocal arrangement which
sees the company benefit through the development of better processes and products, while the employee gains knowledge
and experience which can help improve
earnings, gain promotions and advance
their career.
Essentially, if an employer is prepared
to invest in an employee, it's likely the employee will feel invested in the company,
which only goes to underline the importance of such phrases as 'train to retain'.
Rosti Automotive Larkhall, located in
Lanarkshire, Scotland, was the winner of
this year's Best Training and Development
Programme of the Year. The company has
put in a place a comprehensive Training
and Competence programme which includes apprenticeships, graduate opportunities and management training.
In addition, engineers and technicians
at the automotive parts manufacturer can
gain professional accreditation with the
Institution of Engineering and Technology.
Speaking about the programme, human
resources manager Elizabeth McVeigh,
said: "All our employees are eligible and
encouraged to participate in our training
programme, with training designed to fit
the needs of individuals as well as improve
competence levels. Nonetheless, some of
the training and development opportunities are structured towards developing
teams and their leaders."
She continued by saying that the inhouse training helps to upskill and develop the potential of employees.

The company has a dedicated training
room, which is fitted with screens, projectors and a range of training materials. In
addition, there are breakout areas to help
working in small groups.
These efforts have produced a series
of engineers and managers now working
at the company, but it has also improved
colleague engagement. An engagement
survey carried out by Rosti and completed using an independent company, has
achieved a 96% return rate - 10% better
than the median.
The training programme is identified as
keeping employee churn down to about 1%,
while absenteeism is about 1.5%. All metrics
are tracked through human resources.
Moving forward, training will evolve
with the needs of the employees, as
McVeigh explained: "As we design and
develop new products and processes,
we need to consider how best to equip
our people with the skills and expertise
to   support business needs and help future proof the business. 
"The most effective way to expand on the
commitment to training and development
is to be able to demonstrate the return on
investment, not only in terms of improved
quality and performance, but in terms of
higher retention, increased employee satisfaction and an improved skills base."
McVeigh added that the company was
honoured to be shortlisted for the PIA
award, taking the nod as confirmation that
the training was not only fit for purpose,
but best in class. The trophy will now be
displayed in the company's main reception area, together with the double-winner's award for Processor of the Year.
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