TRAINING & RECRUITMENT
PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE
BOULTING
THE IMPORTANCE OF LEARNING
AND DEVELOPMENT PLANS
For many British manufacturers, the issue
of skill shortages remains at the top of
their ongoing concerns. While the industry
continues to call on the UK government to
step up and tackle the potential crisis, many
businesses are looking internally to see how
they can do their bit. Here Lucy Speed, HR
advisor at engineering solutions provider
Boulting Ltd, looks at the importance of
learning and development plans in tackling
internal skills gaps.
All jobs require some level of training when
employees start a new role, whether that be
because they are fresh to the company or they
are entering a new field in the organisation.
For some businesses this introductory training
is as far as it goes, with many showing no
further commitment to their employees.
According to research, two out of three UK
workers have changed jobs because of a lack
of training and development. In fact, out
of 2,500 people surveyed by jobs website
total jobs, two thirds say training is more
important today than it was two years ago.
With unemployment rates standing at an
all-time low, employers are facing a significant
challenge to retain their workforce.
Technical skills, knowledge and experience
are critical to many roles in the field of
engineering. As Industry 4.0 technologies
are implemented, employees across all levels
are being required to undergo extensive
on-the-job training. This is to not only ensure
they understand the technology, but how it
can benefit the business, which is particularly
important for white collar workers.
It’s important that we attack the skills gap
from several angles. We should not just focus
on the short-term issue but also work from
the roots up and identify strategies that
will secure the longevity of the industry. At
Boulting we are diversifying who and where
we recruit from, including becoming a Tier 2
sponsor company. This has helped us to tackle
some of our skills gaps, but much more needs
to be done to back fill many of the skills that
the industry is set to lose.
ON THE JOB LEARNING
A focus needs to be placed on retaining the
skills in the UK to ensure that we have people
that can impart their knowledge with those
who aspire to achieve a career in engineering.
186
PECM Issue 37
One way to achieve this is by implementing a
robust learning and development plan across
all areas of the business.
A learning and development plan acts as a
road map for employees and helps to support
their career and personal development. It
helps the company identify key roles and
grow its talent to fill skills gaps. These gaps
may include the operation of new industrial
technologies, but also help engineers make
the shift from blue collar to white collar roles.
One area of Boulting that has benefited has
been the skilled system integration team.
Through a combination of learning and
development plans and focused mentoring
programme, graduates and trainees have
been nurtured and developed into highly
competent engineers much faster and more
effectively than in the past.
This process is important as it allows
for a focus on career management and
helps us ensure that there is a two-way
communication and dialogue, assisting
both the company and employee achieve a
common goal.
The plans can be used to manage
performance and demonstrates to staff that
their employer is keen to invest both time
and resources in their career development.
CREATING YOUR PLAN
There is no one-size-fits-all solution when it
comes to learning and development plans
as every employee is different. Each plan
should be tailored to meet the needs of the
individual and their current and future role.
The plan should be made up of key objectives
that the employee should achieve during the
lifetime of the document. These objectives
can include anything from technical to
behavioural and leadership skills. Staff can
also be supported further through mentor
programmes as well as ongoing assistance
from their line manager and wider HR team.
Development plans should consist of a mix
of on and off the job learning. For many
industrial companies there can be a lot of
tacit knowledge locked away. It’s important
to open up this knowledge and ensure
it is shared with the next generation of
employees and leaders in order to develop
the business.
On the job learning and shadowing play a
key role in the plans as they provide people
with the opportunity to experience real life
situations and put the theory in to practice
in a safe environment. Whereas off-the-job
learning gives employees an opportunity to
undertake further education or training that
is specific to their role, something that their
existing employer may not be able to offer.
FUTURE LEADERS
With fewer people entering the field of
engineering at blue collar level, there is
an impact further up the chain with the
industry’s future leaders. Learning and
development plans can assist with identifying
future leaders through appraisals and careful
succession planning.
Boulting offers relevant employees’
formal supervisor and line manager
training including Institute of Leadership
& Management (ILM), Institute of
Directors (IOD) and Association for Project
Management (APM), as well as other
recognised management training to aid with
development.
For those making the shift from blue to white
collar roles, mentoring from current job
holders and senior managers is integral to
managing the change and proves to be very
effective. This is also important for people
with experience that have made the move
from other companies or sectors. When
people do move between organisations
or sectors, it’s important to capture their
experiences and views as often they can
lead to innovative changes to your business’
approach and processes.
For more information about Boulting
Ltd and potential careers, please visit
www.boulting.co.uk/careers.