Preparing for the future: Training and upskilling is key to creating an agile workforce

Creating clarity from complexity is a skill STC INSISO has mastered. A problem-solving company, STC INSISO has over 20 years of experience delivering blended learning solutions and leadership training as well as providing ECITB and IOSH accredited training programmes worldwide, helping companies solve inherent issues within their business.

Their blend of online, classroom, and practical learning targets the creation of highly motivated rising stars and leaders across both operational and support functions who need training as they face increased financial, people, and commercial responsibilities. STC INSISO boasts learning expertise spanning business & commerce, project management, supervision & leadership, and health & safety. They supply products, services, and training techniques that are equally applicable across organisations from operations to support functions, and across various markets including energy, construction, and manufacturing.

One of STC INSISO’s most popular programmes not only supports leaders already in a senior role but encourages employees with high potential to take steps to future-proof their skills and support them in confident decision making.

Cohorts are carefully selected to promote cross-function communications and relationships within an organisation providing added value and even better results. Academy learning is industry agnostic and is typically used to harness potential and encourage growth in employees looking to accelerate their careers. Students that commit to an Academy Learning programme will gain a broader knowledge of what drives the business forward and will be better equipped to manage the key relationships that make a difference day-to-day.

Using real company data to allow the learning to be completely bespoke to their daily activities, the aim is to understand the business using key values, numbers, USP’s and marketplaces by completing four different programmes: business and money, managing self and others, projects and change, and value and markets. All Academy programmes also feature a live challenge facilitating a response to a real opportunity or threat that the business is exposed to at the time.

In 2016 Stork approached STC INSISO to design and deliver a new development programme to support Stork’s community of managers and leaders in maximising their potential and prepare them for expanding opportunities in the business. Stork operates, maintains, and modifies installations in oil and gas, chemicals, metals and mining, food and pharmaceuticals, rail and infrastructure, power and manufacturing. With such a wide range of operations within the business, the company recognised the need to support their emerging business leaders, but existing development programmes available to them such as MBAs felt too generic and not focused enough to be truly valuable to the business and to the learners’ day-to-day responsibilities and in-house functions.

STC INSISO responded by creating a tailored management academy programme specific to Stork called ‘The Diamond Management Development Academy’, to help boost strategic business understanding and enhance skills within the future leaders. The creation of the bespoke Academy built by STC INSISO allowed Stork to provide a focused programme delivering the core skills and knowledge applicable to the company ensuring learning was relevant and exclusive to the business. This in-house approach to development also meant that company employees did not need to take extended time away from the business to attend external training, meaning no downtime in operations or increased workload.

Each module within the custom-built programme contained best practice scenarios and real-life context using actual data and information provided by the business. The modules conclude with delegates creating a list of actions that could be implemented within their job role to make a difference to the organisation.

The design of the ‘Diamond Management Development Academy’ programme also encouraged collaborative learning. By using a cross-section of personnel from across the business it ensures that best practice is shared widely and allows team members to develop an understanding of the importance of specific functions and implement a greater understanding towards them.

Daniel Stephen, Learning and Development Advisor at Stork said: “Academy learning has helped myself and others who have been through the programme to develop a greater understanding of business functions out with our area of expertise. It creates a lot of light bulb moments and helps to establish a greater appreciation and understanding of different business functions and how they can relate to what you do on a day-to-day basis. The programme goes a long way to helping experts in individual fields, adapt to a more all-rounded business way of thinking.”

Academies have an optimal completion timeframe of six months and provide learning and networking within the same environment creating meaningful results for the learners.

Craig Smith, People Change Manager at STC INSISO said: “The tangible benefits of Academy Learning is first clear through the crucial subjects in business of which our learners are required to study. Many companies who sign up for the Academy Learning programme go on to implement an annual programme to help them identify their future leaders.

"The programme is highly relative, many challenges and opportunities are addressed in real-time – from implementing immediate changes to performance, relations, and safety within their specific functions. Applying strategic thinking to larger business opportunities is one of the main skills we teach as part of the programme as it can be applied throughout the learner’s career.

"Following the programme, it's always exciting to see graduates of the Academy climb the ladder and obtain more senior roles in the business, inspiring additional and future employees to sign-up. Learners often cite how key learning from the programme allowed them to make that transition to a more responsible role with greater confidence."

The course aims to help the learner shift to strategic thinking, encourage financial astute decision making, instil and share best practices and build stronger people management skills.

STC INSISO offers an array of additional training courses, one of the most popular courses on offer is their diversity and inclusion one-day course which is designed to help delegates understand their responsibilities for promoting equality, tackling all forms of discrimination in the workplace, and helping teams develop strong, productive, and creative relationships. Their Supervision Edge training package includes the UK’s biggest Engineering and Construction Industry Training Board (ECITB) accredited supervisor’s programme.

The problem-solving company also deliver a unique range of specialist training courses designed to develop individuals into confident incident investigators as well as giving people the skills needed to deal with a major crisis. Using IOSH accredited modules, learners will develop the skills required to perform structured and thorough interviews with a range of different witnesses during an investigation into a safety or quality incident, HR investigation, internal enquiry, or equipment failure. The course will also help you assist elected safety representatives in your team and help them develop the skills required to contribute to a structured and thorough investigation into any safety, environmental, or quality incident.

STC INSISO worked proactively to support businesses training requirements during the pandemic, as a result, the ECITB now support their supervisory training courses to support the industry by adapting existing classroom-based content to conduct trainer-led sessions online using Adobe Connect. The results were positive, with students able to connect and engage in the learning experience away from the traditional classroom environment with no travel and flexibility around timings. All students successfully passed the final assessment with an overall course rating of 94%.

Hazel Llewellyn, Principal Behavioural Trainer at STC INSISO said: “Using Adobe Connect allowed us to create a solution for training which is accessible anywhere, anytime and on virtually any device to comply with remote working policies being implemented to avoid the spread of the COVID-19 infection. Further classroom-based courses are now being adapted for virtual learning sessions to future-proof training.”

For STC INSISO, the diversification in the training able to be delivered and the broadening of available training channels place them in a strong position as companies adapt to a new normal. In the last 20 years, they have deployed their business performance improvement solutions and training across markets and global regions. In other developments, the firm has committed significant investment to develop up to five new technology products over the next two years as it strives to continue to advance the business performance improvement space and its training opportunities.