A-Plant launch new training initiatives
contractjournal.com newsletter: 17.11.05
A-Plant launch new training initiatives
A-Plant has launched a series of training initiatives during 2005 which has helped it stay at the forefront of industry. The UK's leading equipment rental business explains how.
A-Plant has always believed it is important to attract more school and college leavers to the industry and has therefore put in place several new apprenticeship schemes over the last 12 months that will take the total number of 17-18-year-old apprentices to between 50 and 60.
This new structured approach to apprenticing is mostly aimed at the major conurbations, working closely with the local careers officers.
More than 20 trainees have been accepted on electrical and mechanical apprenticeships approved by the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB).
A-Plant has also instituted a new Driving Apprenticeship scheme aimed at school leavers and is hoping to take up to 20 apprentices under this scheme.
Career advancement programmes are crucial for attracting and retaining its employees and A-Plant has introduced a new Management Training Scheme for managers joining the company and for existing employees looking to move into management positions.
A new development programme for Hire Desk employees has also recently been launched with excellent feedback. It concentrates on how to best serve customers to ensure their needs are met.
Complementing the company's well-established Training and Development and HR teams, A-Plant has set up a new Operational Training Department to deliver operational training to its entire staff.
A-Plant is also rolling out new Driver Loading and Unloading courses for all of the company's Drivers and Foreman/Fitter courses which ensure quality, a common standard and compliance with health and safety legislation.
According to the company, the availability of quality training is part of its commitment to the personal safety of both customers and the A-Plant workforce of over 2,000 employees.
This commitment is demonstrated by the number of training days, over 4,500, held at A-Plant during the last 12 months and an overall company-wide investment in colleague training worth around £1m.
Every A-Plant depot has a training budget worth approximately £400 per employee and all staff are encouraged to participate in training by their line managers.
A-Plant staff can choose from over 210 training courses, all of which are listed on the company intranet, ranging from employment law to abrasive wheel training and product awareness training.
In addition, the operational training team highlights and provides information to all staff members during depot visits.
Throughout the company, A-Plant personnel receive stringent training on an ongoing basis, much of it carried out at the National Training Centre in Manchester, the first purpose-built facility of its kind in the industry, which is capable of handling up to 50 technical and non-technical attendees at any one time.
The courses at the centre are designed to complement the extensive on-the-job training at A-Plant, continually monitoring changes in legislation to ensure the workforce is correctly trained in an ever changing market.
The National Training Centre provides A-Plant employees with a dedicated facility where they can be trained, well away from the everyday distractions of their jobs. The training department at A-Plant has devised a unique training programme that adopts a multi-tier approach aimed at different job functions in the rental locations.
In all the courses, attendees are encouraged to give their analysis in an anonymous evaluation section.
The feedback received has helped in developing the courses, changing their focus and bringing in additional elements where necessary, to ensure they are as comprehensive as possible.
In addition, A-Plant is launching a Sales Academy in conjunction with an independent business school. An A-Plant Graduate Training Programme is also being introduced, for which 200 applications have already been received.
A-Plant, which forms part of the London Stock Exchange-quoted Ashtead Group plc, has over 2,000 employees and a fleet of 110,000 items of plant, tools and specialist equipment available to hire – from large plant such as excavators, telehandlers and dumpers, to smaller equipment like electrical tools, lifting equipment and safety harnesses, to a vast range of specialist equipment including temporary accommodation units, rail equipment and welding products.