Case Studies

The Background

HS2 is Great Britain’s new high-speed railway. Once operational, HS2’s British-built bullet trains will provide zero-carbon journeys between the UK’s two largest cities, Birmingham and London.

The HS2 London tunnels team is a joint venture of Skanska, Costain and STRABAG.  The joint venture is delivering the High Speed Two (HS2) Main Works Civil Contract in London, between West Ruislip and Euston.

Joanne Green is the Head of Training and Onboarding for SCS Joint Venture (SCS JV).

The Challenge

SCS JV did not have a training management system before Joanne Green was asked to step in and help. For the first two years of the SCS JV project, the training needs of staff were managed via spreadsheets. While this approach might suffice for smaller businesses, the sheer volume of staff involved in the SCS project made it highly impractical.

When Jo Green was invited to join the project, there were no established training processes, and training records were scattered without a centralised repository. This lack of organisation made it challenging for line managers to determine which staff members required training or identify if mandatory training was up to date.

Drawing on her extensive experience, Jo recognised the need to avoid reinventing the wheel, she had previously collaborated with Develop during her work with tRIIo, therefore swiftly implemented a solution she was familiar with.

The Solution

Jo’s pre-existing collaboration with Develop granted her insight into the extensive array of features offered by Develop’s Learning & Assessment Portal (LAP) known as ‘BookIT.’ Recognising the unparalleled flexibility of ‘BookIT,’ which surpasses the capabilities of many off-the-shelf systems, Jo leveraged her knowledge to the benefit of SCS.

Ben Jobson, IT Business Partner at Develop, collaborated closely with Jo, ensuring that all her requirements were meticulously addressed, and the system was user-friendly for line managers.

Ben said –

It’s been a great experience working with Joanne again, this time to customise BookIT for the SCS JV. We feel really proud at the way BookIT has been embraced by SCS and the positive impact it has had for them. We look forward to continuing our journey with the project and further enhancing BookIT in line with their changing needs.

BookIT, although initially designed for training purposes, has transcended its original scope. It is now integral to various aspects of SCS operations, including workforce planning, recruitment, headcount management, redeployment, and even annual talent management initiatives.

“I had a fantastic working relationship with the Develop team in my previous role and the BookIT system worked really well for our business. I had no hesitation in recommending Develop and BookIT to SCS and, once again, the team have been accommodating to our requests and have been able to provide incredible functionality that we just wouldn’t be able to get with an ‘off-the-shelf’ piece of training management software.” Joanne Green, Head of Training and Onboarding, Skanska Costain STRABAG (SCS JV)

   Case Studies

The Challenge

Firmus wanted to test its staff’s incident management capabilities and improve preparedness. In response to this, firmus engaged in a collaborative partnership with Develop Training, a renowned utilities training provider. The primary objective was to rigorously test procedures and ensure that firmus’ engineering and technical teams were well-equipped to handle real-world incidents.

Firmus’ decision to choose Develop was driven by the organisation’s successful track record in creating bespoke incident management training programs for utility companies. Specifically, their successful collaboration on a similar training initiative for Phoenix Energy earlier in the year underscored their expertise and capability. However, the pivotal factor behind the choice was the wealth of experience brought by Develop’s experts, Jim Donnelly and Chris Parker, both of whom who have extensive hands-on experience in the gas industry.

Chantal Hemphill, HSE Manager at firmus energy, said:

The feedback we received from Phoenix Energy about Jim and Chris was absolutely glowing, and it became clear to us from the very first phone call we had with them that they’re clearly very experienced and know exactly what they’re talking about. It was this phone call that told us all we needed to know and we just felt so comfortable with them throughout the entire process.

The Solution

Develop worked closely with the HSE team at firmus to design a bespoke scenario that brought together various teams within firmus. The scenario ensured that individuals who may not typically work together on a day-to-day basis, but would have to collaborate effectively during an incident, got the chance to put their emergency procedures into practice.

Jim and Chris played a crucial role in assessing the group’s response both as a cohesive team and as individual contributors.

The Result

This feedback, alongside feedback from the participants themselves, was fed back to the HSE team at Firmus and then used to create an action plan.

Chantal Hemphill, HSE Manager at firmus energy, said:

The collaboration with Develop has had a significant positive impact on our organisation. The training has not only enhanced our incident management preparedness but also facilitated teamwork and collaboration among diverse teams. The overall feeling of everyone involved has been that it was an extremely useful exercise and we’re thankful to Develop for their expertise and the work they’ve put into helping us.”

Conclusion

As effective incident management and response continue to play a key role in the utilities industry, investment in employee training proves to be essential for companies like firmus.

As the utilities industry evolves, the emphasis on hands-on training and preparedness remains critical, and this case study serves as a model for organisations seeking to enhance their capabilities in this ever-changing landscape.

For organisations interested in similar transformative experiences, Develop Training can be contacted through the Customer Service Team on 0800 876 6708 or via email at enquiries@developtraining.co.uk.

   Case Studies

The Challenge: Quality Assurance of Network Plus’ Training Programmes

A leading service provider in the utility sector, Network Plus is committed to providing high-quality training and development programmess to its workforce. In 2022, Network Plus approached Develop with a unique proposition to verify and enhance the quality of its teaching, learning, and assessment provision.

The Solution: A Bespoke Audit Plan

Under the guidance of Develop’s Quality Assurance Auditors, Gary Fisher and Graham Long, a meticulous audit plan was developed. This plan involved observing all Network Plus trainers on a rolling basis, ensuring adherence to UK educational standards and the criteria specified by Energy and Utility Skills under the EUSR scheme.

Develop’s experts carried out these observations, assessing competency and assessment quality.

Following on from the observations, Develop compiled a comprehensive report detailing the standard of the internal training, including the level of competency and assessment that was noted. This report was then sent on to the training lead at Network Plus, featuring many suggested recommendations to assist the business with working towards the EUSR standards.

The Result: An Un-biased Assessment of Training Provision

Develop’s audit services provided Network Plus with a clear and un-biased assessment of its internal training provision. The comprehensive report detailed the standard of training and assessment, along with a wealth of suggested recommendations.

This insight empowered Network Plus to understand their standing in the industry and areas for improvement, ensuring learners receive the most from their courses.

Ashley Courtney, Training Manager at Network Plus, said:

Develop Training has been assessing our trainers who deliver EUSR accredited courses to help support us in being able to verify the level of competence and quality being delivered. We have found this process to be extremely helpful, as it allows us to understand in depth where we stand as a business and potential areas in which trainers could improve to ensure the learner gets the most from the course.

The competence assessments will also help us when it comes to EUSR audits. We will be able to provide EUSR with the relevant paperwork to show we value quality and aim to better ourselves, and the service we deliver where possible.”

Conclusion: A Dynamic Partnership for Training Excellence

Regulatory compliance is a critical concern for businesses in today’s landscape. Develop’s audit services helped Network Plus ensure they were adhering to all relevant regulations, mitigating risks, and providing the highest quality of teaching and assessment possible.

Implementing the audit recommendations has also helped Network Plus to improve their training provision as well as showcasing their commitment to quality and improvement to EUSR.

   Case Studies

Developing the relationship with NGN

Develop and NGN began working together over six years ago in 2017, with Develop training its very first NGN delegate at its York training centre in January of that year.

Instead of merely offering set courses, Develop listened to NGN’s specific training needs, providing them with bespoke training programmes tailored to the needs of their gas engineers.

The two companies’ strong working relationship is based upon honest communication, with representatives meeting in person every four-to-six weeks to openly discuss their partnership and how both parties can improve further going forward.

This transparency was exemplified during the tendering process for Develop to acquire two NGN contracts in 2021/22. The tenders involved rigorous processes to ensure the right training provider was chosen to train NGN’s employees.

As all gas engineers need to be assessed using a Joint Emergency Training Set (JETSET), the provision of such a facility was a fundamental priority for NGN. Keen and able to satisfy this requirement, Develop guaranteed NGN that it would create the JETSET as part of the training offer.

With both parties benefitting from their existing partnership and inspired by the potential of future plans, it made sense to formalise and expand their relationship going forward. As a result, Develop was able to successfully win both NGN contracts.

Day to day relations between NGN and Develop

Following an initial induction at NGN, the gas engineers begin their training with Develop. After successfully completing courses such as Network Construction Operations Gas Level 1 (NCO1G), Level 2 Service Laying (NCO2GSL), and Level 2 Main Laying (NCO2GML), and NRSWA Street Works, they go out ‘on patch’ with their team leaders to gain valuable experience in the field.

These same delegates often then go on to up-skill and become team leaders themselves, which in turn helps to support the next wave of young professionals.

Since working with NGN, Develop has trained in excess of 6000 gas engineers, growing from just 249 in 2017 to almost 1,500 in 2022. Develop is on track to train over 1,500 NGN engineers (the most in any previous year) by the end of 2023 – a number which serves to exemplify the strength of the partnership.

In recent years the partnership has grown even further, with over 70 NGN employees also undertaking a JTL apprenticeship either on the Gas Network Craftsperson or Gas Network Operative pathway.

Additionally, Develop has recently supported NGN with its Managed Learner Programme, upskilling existing staff to a Level 3 Diploma in Engineering Maintenance over a period of 12 months.

Training Terrace

As previously mentioned, the partnership between Develop and NGN is best demonstrated by their combined creation of the JETSET – a fully to-scale artificial street designed to safely recreate emergency response scenarios.

Known as ‘Training Terrace’, the purpose-built street, which includes model homes and shops, gives delegates an opportunity to test out their theoretical knowledge in a realistic but controlled environment. Here Develop’s trainers can simulate situations such as an emergency gas escape and assess the response of a real first call gas operative.

The street is also used for a wide variety of training, including high pressure water jetting, customer service, first aid, showcasing the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning, emergency incident role-play, and even corporate social responsibilities such as spotting signs of abuse.

Each area offers a unique training environment that poses different risks and hazards to overcome when responding to gas incidents, such as deep excavation safety, cable avoidance, and operating in confined spaces.

NGN delegates aiming to acquire their Accredited Certification Scheme (ACS) qualification can first practice on the JETSET (such as during mock exams) before their final assessment, giving them a chance to test their skills ahead of time.

Since ‘Training Terrace’ opened in May 2023, over 160 NGN professionals, a mixture of those new to industry, apprentices, and experienced staff, have undergone either gas escape, confined space entry, or location and avoidance of underground apparatus training.

Develop worked closely with technical experts from NGN during the construction process, regularly consulting with them on the layout of the street and where best to locate appliances such as meter boxes during the final plan to ensure that ‘Training Terrace’ was successfully built to specification.

The street exemplifies the companies’ mutualistic relationship and their combined efforts to improve the quality of training that utility industry professionals receive.

A Northern Centre of Excellence for Utility Training

Fully trained gas engineers are central to NGN’s service, but gas training providers are difficult to come by in the North East of England. This is why Develop’s training centre, conveniently based in York, is particularly useful for NGN, both for its high-quality training and its unique offering of gas training right on its doorstep.

Develop’s York training centre recently underwent a full refurbishment worth £500,000. The vast renovations included a fresh canteen, new classrooms, and vastly improved practical training areas. Develop’s classrooms in particular encourage face-to-face interaction, allowing trainers to better connect with delegates and build relationships with them to unlock their full potential.

The centre’s newly refurbished facilities also include LV and HV workshops, as well as confined space facilities, gas distribution, and health and safety training areas.

In recent months, NGN has also made significant financial investments in the facilities at the training centre, contributing towards a purpose-built gas training building as well as the provision of specialised training equipment such as low-to-medium pressure gas rigs and gas tents. This demonstrates NGN’s confidence in the quality of delegates that Develop produces and highlights the strength of the relationship between the two companies in continuing to drive forward high-quality training provision for the utilities industry.

The training centre is located just next door to ‘Training Terrace’, meaning that NGN delegates can seamlessly move between theoretical training and practical application.

NGN appreciates the changes, as even improvements to communal areas such as canteens make a real difference on a day-to-day basis.

Together, the renovated centre and the innovative ‘Training Terrace’ has significantly improved the training and development opportunities on offer for NGN.

A shared passion for social and environmental responsibility

The relationship between Develop and NGN also exists on a more personal level too. Last year, the two companies sent several of their employees to Nakuru, Kenya, as part of a project to help improve the lives of remote communities in impoverished areas.

This involved installing utilities capable of delivering clean water and sanitation to five schools, setting up the facilities necessary to give them adequate sanitary systems, and facilitating more accessible education for local schoolchildren.

The trip was a life-changing experience for both the Develop and NGN teams that also enabled the communities to independently maintain the equipment and systems installed for decades to come.

   Case Studies

Client Profile: National Grid

National Grid Electricity Distribution (NGED) is the regional electricity distribution division of National Grid. Formerly known as Western Power Distribution, the UK’s largest electricity distribution network serves nearly 8 million customers in the East and West Midlands, South West and Wales, delivering essential power to millions of homes and businesses across its regions.

With a distribution area of 550,000 square kilometres, it’s 6,500 colleagues are committed to providing a safe, stable and reliable electricity supply and ensuring the highest quality of customer service.

The Challenge: Fostering Emotionally Intelligent Leadership

In response to a staff survey called Grid:Voice that highlighted the need to equip their managers with the necessary skills to be leaders of the future, NGED sought a training partner to help them address this crucial requirement.

The Solution: Bespoke Leadership Training by Develop Training

NGED’s search for a partner led them to Develop Training, the UK’s leading accredited provider of compliance, technical, and safety training.

Develop’s initial remit was to provide a mental resilience/cognitive agility programme for managers in order to improve their mental wellbeing and overall performance levels. This would enable them to understand how their thoughts/feelings and behaviours impact on themselves and their team members.

However, due to the overwhelming success of this training, senior leadership and operational managers from NGED and Develop Training collaborated closely to design a bespoke programme of training called ‘Building High Performing Teams’.

The goal was clear: to elevate NGED’s operational middle managers into emotionally intelligent leaders capable of navigating challenges, fostering relationships, and driving the organisation forward.

A Collaborative Journey to Excellence

Develop’s organisational specialists dove deep into NGED’s operations, conducting extensive site visits and engaging with senior leaders and operational managers. These interactions were crucial in understanding NGED’s unique pressures, challenges, and aspirations. By immersing themselves in the company’s ethos, Develop’s specialists gained a comprehensive perspective, enabling them to craft a training programme perfectly aligned with NGED’s needs.

This ‘Building High Performing Teams’ programme is delivered on National Grid’s premises in cohorts of up to 10 managers, attending 6 days over a 7-month period.

A unique aspect of the programme is that every cohort has be allocated a senior cohort advocate/mentor. This has proved to be a highly successful aspect of the training as it has enabled each cohort to develop as a team of managers whilst accessing continued support from their senior advocate, whom also attends all 6 of their on-site development days.

The 6 training days of the BHPT leadership programme involve practical, interactive team activities across a range of topics, for example:

• Understanding organisational culture and the impact of own core/aspirational values
• Developing growth versus fixed mindsets in self and others
• Understanding and developing high performing team traits and behaviours
• How to develop a psychologically safe environment to promote collective intelligence and psychological ownership.
• Emotionally intelligent leadership – styles/situations, motivating self and others.
• Mental resilience, cognitive agility and how to manage oneself – self-awareness, self-regulation.
• Whole brain-based presentations of cohort action learning set briefs throughout the 6 days
• Understanding and managing change, workplace conflict, and positive influencing via courageous conversations
• The manager as a positive impact communicator – meetings, presentations, discussions
• Developing self and others via coaching/mentoring/delegating and feedback/feedforward
• Continuing professional development and identifying own career anchor.

The Result: Transforming Leaders, Shaping Futures

The 2-year programme has been running from September 2022 and is due to end in late 2024. Throughout this time delegates have given extremely high feedback ratings, with January – April 2023 receiving consistent 100% positive feedback – an incredible achievement!

One delegate praised the training saying, “I found the training very thought-provoking and it has already offered useful advice/guidance on ways I can help improve my team. I was unaware of most of this before the sessions!”

Develop is awaiting the results of NGED’s next Grid:Voice survey but the feedback already shows that the results are likely to be positive.

Delegate testimonials

Conclusion: A Lasting Partnership for Leadership Excellence

The partnership between Develop Training and NGED stands as a testament to the power of collaboration, employee investment, and dedicated expertise. By crafting bespoke leadership training that focuses on mental resilience and emotional intelligence, Develop Training has not only elevated NGED’s management teams but has also contributed to building a stronger, more resilient, and forward-thinking organisation that is well-equipped to lead in an ever-evolving energy landscape.

Through their ongoing collaboration, Develop and NGED continue to shape the future of leadership, ensuring that the leaders of tomorrow are equipped with the skills, insights, and emotional intelligence to excel in their roles and drive organisational success.

   Case Studies

Client Profile: National Grid

National Grid Electricity Distribution (NGED) is the regional electricity distribution division of National Grid. Formerly known as Western Power Distribution, the UK’s largest electricity distribution network serves nearly 8 million customers in the East and West Midlands, South West and Wales, delivering essential power to millions of homes and businesses across its regions.

With a distribution area of 550,000 square kilometres, it’s 6,500 colleagues are committed to providing a safe, stable and reliable electricity supply and ensuring the highest quality of customer service.

The Challenge: Building Mental Resilience

NGED sought a training partner to help them design and deliver a one-day mental resilience and cognitive agility training course. The objective of this initiative was to support managers in enhancing their mental wellbeing and overall performance levels. This would empower them to grasp the influence of their thoughts, emotions, and actions on both themselves and their team members.

The Solution: Bespoke Leadership Training by Develop Training

To enable Develop to design a bespoke mental resilience course, our organisational specialist met with senior leaders and operational managers to ascertain key business pressure points. We also undertook extensive visits to a range of sites and field activities to develop an insight into the managers’/organisation’s development needs and business ‘drivers’.

Central to Develop’s methodology is a deep understanding of our client’s environment, language and culture. This equips us with the knowledge to be able to customise all course content, material and delivery styles.

Three pilot sessions coupled with extensive review meetings and structured feedback enabled us to ‘fine tune’ the training, resulting in a programme that aims to develop mental resilience awareness and skills to reduce negative stress levels. It also highlights that not all stress is unhealthy, how to take advantage of it and how to increase cognitive agility for better personal and professional performance.

The Result: Empowered Leaders

Following the success of the initial training delivery to mid-level managers, NGED decided to roll the training out to all levels of their business. The course continues to be in high demand and valued by employees across the business. Currently, the training has been delivered to over 1,980 employees and is due to continue into 2024 and beyond.

As result of this success, Develop and NGED have continued to work together. Further organisational development needs have been identified and bespoke training courses designed and delivered. For example, Positive Impact Communication and Managing Ones Self were both delivered virtually during the Covid19 pandemic.

More recently, senior leadership and operational managers from NGED and Develop Training have collaborated closely to design a bespoke programme of training called ‘Building High Performing Teams’. The goal for this training is to elevate NGED’s operational middle managers into emotionally intelligent leaders capable of navigating challenges, fostering relationships, and driving the organisation forward.

Conclusion: A Dynamic Partnership for Leadership Excellence

The partnership between Develop Training and NGED stands as a testament to the power of collaboration, employee investment, and dedicated expertise. By crafting bespoke leadership training that focuses on mental resilience and emotional intelligence, Develop Training has not only elevated NGED’s management teams but has also contributed to building a stronger, more resilient, and forward-thinking organisation that is well-equipped to lead in an ever-evolving energy landscape.

Through their ongoing collaboration, Develop and NGED continue to shape the future of leadership, ensuring that the leaders of tomorrow are equipped with the skills, insights, and emotional intelligence to excel in their roles and drive organisational success.

   Case Studies

One of the unique offerings we provide at Develop Training is our on-site bespoke training.

In this, we can both adapt and deliver our courses to be precisely relevant to a company’s facilities, staff, or systems. Recently, Phoenix Natural Gas reached out to Develop Training looking for a way to prepare their staff for the eventuality of a serious incident, and we got to work designing them a bespoke training programme.

Bespoke gas training for Phoenix Natural Gas

With considerable experience delivering exactly this kind of programme to companies throughout the gas industry, we felt our knowledge of the potential for plausible incidents involving gas transmission could be of particular use.

As such, we arranged and delivered two sessions at a location in Belfast, catering for 24 people from their side who were based in either incident procedure or safety. At the helm of this was Develop Training staff members Jim Donnelly, Tech ISOH Senior Trainer and Chris Parker, Health and Safety Manager.

These sessions utilised role play to reproduce incidents that Phoenix Natural Gas wished to tackle, with a team from Develop Training using comms to monitor and direct their changing crisis scenarios from another room. Following the scenarios, feedback was given in conjunction with a screening of relevant interviews from members of HSE (Health and Safety Executive) media, police, and community representatives.

Business benefits delivered

A further breakdown was then delivered to confirm how the group’s performances would translate to real life scenarios, and to analyse the timeline of their actions. This was followed by a practical discussion over the overall management of the scenario. Upon the conclusion of the programme, we were pleased to hear that Phoenix Natural Gas reported the sessions were incredibly useful.

It was of delight to us that Phoenix Natural Gas followed this feedback with the request that we return and run a similar programme for their executive management. Being able to deliver our training, guidance and support at multiple levels of a company ensures long-term improvement, and is something we are proud to conduct at an esteemed company such as Phoenix Natural Gas.

Bespoke gas training for your organisation

Simply get in touch with our Customer Service team and one of our industry specialists will contact you to discuss your particular needs.

Contact us on 0800 876 6708 / enquiries@developtraining.co.uk

   Case Studies

At Develop Training our team know all about what the day-to-day culture feels like but we’d like to share an insight with you too. So, we’re starting a brand-new series devoted to the people behind Develop Training and share their stories.

We kick things off with the story of Daryll Garavan, where we trace 12 years of twists and turns that ultimately led Daryll to his current role as Utilities Operational Training Manager for Develop Training.

Career progression with Develop

Daryll first joined Develop Training all the way back in 2010. At that time, he was working at a bank and had begun searching for a route into a new field. Fate had it that Develop Training happened to be advertising a role at the same time, and as Daryll explains it: “The role popped up and I went for it straight away.”

The role was as an administrator and it was in high demand as it concerned the transfer of one centre’s (Whitwell) administration into another (Derby). The interview process had to be quick and efficient, and Daryll had to be a fast learner, “I was one of the administrators at the time that went in to really learn the ropes and bring it back to the Derby centre.”

As goes for any member of staff at Develop Training, Daryll’s potential and natural aptitude for the job was recognised quickly. His precise handling of the day-to-day data entry and course setup earnt him a promotion into the position of team leader within the administration department. From there, Daryll’s ambition took him everywhere.

“There’s always change in some way or another, and new contracts regarding different industries are always coming up. I’m the type of person to go for opportunities like those when they do arise.”

Kenya trip

Daryll, and a few other members of our team only recently returned from a week-long trip to Kenya, where they represented Develop Training in supporting school and education development in Kukuru. The team were put to work in the community there and used their expertise to help develop utility systems for local schools that allowed the delivery of clean water and sanitation.

Daryll said: “We were all immensely proud to see how grateful the community was and how such a small sacrifice for us made such a positive difference to their lives.”

From answering the call for an administration role to now heading up the utilities team and making voyages across to Kenya, Daryll’s story exemplifies how an ambitious mind will always be rewarded with brightening possibilities here at Develop Training.

Stay tuned for our next staff story, where we’ll trace the journey of another one of our essential employees here at Develop Training.

   Case Studies

Interserve is one of the world’s foremost support services and construction companies, with a vision to redefine the future for people and places.

In particular the company has operated within the Facilities Management Industry for over 20 years with some of its core clients including the BBC, B&Q and London Underground.

Interserve has been a key client of Develop Training for a number of years, where the company has supported them with their Facilities Management Training requirements.

Electrical training for Interserve employees

Interserve approached Develop Training around February 2015, following the launch of 17th Edition Amendment 3, the latest update to the 17th Edition Wiring Regulations.

Interserve was looking for a provider to get 100+ electrical employees, operating across BBC sites, up to speed with the changes before the 1st July 2015 deadline.

As well as the short time frame to plan in and deliver training for all engineers, Interserve also had the added pressure of ensuring all trainers had the excellent capabilities and credentials required to deliver this crucial training, to the required standard.

Solution & business benefits delivered

Develop Training was chosen to deliver this training for Interserve because of the high quality of service provided, including the trainers, the courses and administration.

Develop Trainings electrical expert worked with Interserve to schedule in training dates to their desired specification and locations. All dates for the one day Amendment 3 course were scheduled for the client within 24 hours, with delivery commencing throughout June 2015.

The 17th Edition Amendment 3 course was introduced by Develop Training to help keep their clients compliant, at all times. The course also accompanies a full range of electrical courses including the full 17th Edition Wiring Regulations course for less experienced engineers.

As a result of the training, all electrical engineers working for the BBC have a greater understanding of the amendment 3 changes and are able to operate in accordance with the legislation.

Interserve were extremely impressed with Develop Training’s quick response to their training need and the delivery of the training itself. The client praised the trainers who visited the sites prior to the course and ensured excellent delivery.

As a result of this excellent experience, Interserve has referred Develop Training to other sites for different types of training from Gas Foundation to Driver Awareness.

  Case Studies

Northumbrian Water (NWL) is part of the Northumbrian Water Group and supplies water and sewerage services to 2.7 million people in the north east of England, covering an area of 1488 miles.

Their estate includes 44 impounding reservoirs, 57 water treatment works, 344 water pumping stations, 418 sewage treatment works and 765 sewage pumping stations. In addition to this, there are more than 25,600km of water mains and almost 30,000 km of sewers. NWL employs more than 3,000 people.

Business challenges

The maintenance of NWL’s estate is paramount to the utility’s continued business success. Operatives, supervisors, team leaders and managers require the appropriate training, both to ensure they are best equipped to manage the estate and they remain compliant with relevant legislation.

NWL were booking delegates onto training courses as required in an ad-hoc fashion. A list of delegates and their training requirements would be provided for Develop Training to then schedule courses to suit. This was cumbersome – in each instance the Develop Training Customer Services team would need to confirm the availability of training staff with Operational Managers, resulting in a time consuming process which would replicate itself for every delegate.

Solution & business benefits delivered

Develop Training introduced the Learning & Assessment Portal (LAP) to NWL in 2010. Immediately this offered NWL the benefit of operational managers being able to see at-a-glance which team members required training, and the ability to schedule this training at the click of a mouse. This saved considerable administrative time and effort, enabling training to be booked to fit the operatives’ work schedule.

Through the LAP, NWL has full visibility of the training schedules and availability. As a result, more courses are now run at full capacity. This provides NWL with a better return on their training investment, as they are more strategic about when courses are booked to maximise their budget.

Since 2010, NWL has managed the training requirements of more than 3,000 delegates via the LAP. This has included more than 100 different training courses from different providers, the results of which are all consolidated into one easy-to-use platform.

Tracey Greener, Training Contracts Manager for NWL, said: “The LAP has revolutionised the NWL Training Team’s role in supporting business training needs. The system has helped managers take ownership and control of booking people into training and if emergency work hits, they can also cancel and reschedule their teams. This has had a great impact on administrator time as well as reducing ‘no shows’ to training courses.”

Chris Wood, Chief Executive of Develop Training, said: “I am delighted that NWL are taking full advantage of our Learning & Assessment Portal. Not only does the Portal provide full transparency to NWL during the process of booking courses with Develop Training, but it also reduces considerably the demand placed on their managers’ time. As a result, NWL are realising cost savings, experiencing greater operational efficiency, and are able to take a highly proactive approach in meeting the training and development needs of their employees.”