Training & Development Policy

1. Policy Statement

The company is committed to ensuring that all legal, moral, and financial obligations are fully met by providing employees and operatives with the necessary skills, qualifications, and certifications to carry out their work to the highest standard. This commitment aims to improve the skill set within the company, meet business objectives, and enhance employee retention levels.

Additionally, the company ensures that employees and operatives engaged in regulated work undergo up-to-date training as required by the competency requirements and training matrix relevant to their roles.

2. Aims

The company's aims for training and development include:

• Ensuring the company meets its legal and regulatory obligations.

• Ensuring all operatives meet the relevant standards for Health, Safety & Environmental training.

• Adapting company operations to meet client needs.

• Maintaining market leadership in current products and techniques.

• Fostering a positive mindset and company culture.

• Reducing the potential for incidents and accidents.

• Exceeding current minimum standards.

• Equipping the company to meet its short- and long-term business objectives.

• Developing the skills and experience of the workforce.

• Encouraging employee progression to boost retention.

• Selecting training solutions that meet the company’s development needs.

• Ensuring that time-limited certifications are kept up to date.

• Maintaining skills in areas where employees have had limited opportunity to practice.

• Offering work experience programs with local schools and external learning providers.

• Committing to offering opportunities to young people through approved apprenticeships.

• Promoting internal development opportunities from within the company structure.

3. Procedures

i. Identifying Training Needs
Training needs should be identified continuously on both individual and organizational levels, but should also be formally reviewed at the following points:

• During any appraisal or performance management procedure.

• After a long period of absence.

• Upon promotion or a change of role.

Equal Opportunity & Diversity – Promoted from within, considering the nine protected characteristics:

• Age

• Disability

• Gender Reassignment

• Marriage & Civil Partnerships

• Pregnancy & Maternity

• Race

• Religion or Belief

• Sex

• Sexual Orientation

Modern Slavery

• How to spot it.

• How to prevent it.

• How to report it.

• Company expectations.

• Breach of policy.

Bribery & Corruption

• Active bribery.

• Bribing a foreign official.

• Failure to prevent bribery.

• Passive bribery.

• The four offenses.

• The six principles of bribery prevention.

• Signs of bribery.

• What bribery and corruption entail.

• Why it matters.

For the Organization:

• Identifying and assessing business objectives.

• After the loss of a staff member.

• When implementing technical, regulatory, or legal developments.

Categories of Training Needs
Once a training need has been identified, it should be categorized to ensure it is appropriately managed:

• Urgent need: Where the individual requires training to meet a regulatory or legal requirement.

• Organizational need: Where training will help the company meet a current or expected organizational need (e.g., replacing the skills of an outgoing employee).

• Development need: Where training benefits the individual (and by extension, the company), though there is no immediate organizational need.

ii. Meeting Needs
Once a training need has been identified, the responsible manager should take steps to meet it:

• For urgent needs, the responsible manager should source suitable training and seek approval and funding from the Company Owner.

• For organizational needs, the manager should establish a timescale, source training, and submit a training request form to the Company Owner.

• For development needs, the manager should discuss the need with the Company Owner informally, providing an estimate of the cost and benefits. If approved, the manager should source training and submit a training request form.

4. Roles and Responsibilities

i. Individuals
Each individual is responsible for identifying training and development needs that benefit both themselves and the business. Employees should feel free to raise any training or development needs with their line manager.

ii. Supervisors & Managers
Line managers must regularly review the training and development needs of their team members. They should identify performance issues that could be addressed with training and assess the benefit such training would have for both the individual and the company.

iii. Company Owner
The Company Owner is responsible for approving all company-funded training. They must also monitor the training and development requirements of the company as a whole, considering current and future business objectives and needs.