Staff give pioneering course an ‘A’ for appropriateness

Tue, Jun 20th 2006, 11:00

Professional endorsement, enhanced knowledge and a new group of friends – that’s what assistant site managers Steven Helm and Paul Wright gained from a brand new training scheme pioneered by Redrow.

Steven and Paul, who are employed by Redrow Homes (South Wales) were among a group of 10 candidates hand picked to test drive the unique training and development programme designed to take assistant site managers to the next level.

The Assistant Site Manager Development Programme culminates in the achievement of NVQ level 3 site supervision delivered by NHBC Training Services, combined with accreditation through Redrow’s own Site Management Certificate.

The course will enable Redrow to ‘home grow’ a new generation of professional and competent site managers, while giving students the opportunity to gain a broader understanding of the company as a whole, a recognised qualification and meet people from different Redrow regions.

Steven, 33, from Barry, works at Redrow’s Holton Reach development in his hometown.

Having been with the company for 13 years, Steven is a knowledgeable employee but found there were still things to learn about the business - proving even the most experienced assistant site manager can benefit from some fresh thinking.

He said: “The course really made me think about the bigger picture at Redrow and how our role fits in. It was really interesting to gain an insight into different elements of the business, like planning and sales and I enjoyed chatting with people from different regions, comparing notes and sharing ideas.

“The NVQ is a feather in the cap too. It’s like a professional endorsement of my ability, and that gives your confidence a boost,” added the father of one.

Paul, 31, from Cardiff has worked for Redrow for two years and is currently in charge of construction at Llys Ffynnon, in Pontllanfraith.

He commented: “I haven’t had an opportunity to do the NVQ before so I jumped at the chance to do the new programme because professional qualifications provide evidence of your skills. The course gave me the chance to stand back and really look at what I do, which has allowed me to enhance my performance in certain areas. I also feel I’ve learnt a great deal about the structure of Redrow, which can only be beneficial.”

The course focuses on all aspects of the build operation starting with lower risk areas such as finishing trades and working through to high risk ground works as the programme completes. It also requires those taking part to develop their presentation skills and to prove their ability to create a build programme from scratch.

Karen Jones, Redrow’s human resources director, explained: “We have developed this programme especially to create a career path for our assistant site managers. It will enable them to demonstrate the competence they are gaining from their role on-site and provides an element of formal training to support their learning experiences.

“This unique training and development programme is part of our commitment to raising the competency of our construction staff above the industry average and increasing employee retention and job satisfaction.”

Redrow’s development programme is designed to take nine months to complete but the first 10 candidates were hand-picked and put on a fast track programme over just six months. During that time they have successfully developed the management skills required to run a site in compliance with Redrow policies and procedures and are now set to be first in line for future site manager posts.

The NVQ level 3 element of the development programme was delivered and assessed by an NHBC team and Redrow was delighted by the flexibility of approach and level of support provided by NHBC.

Dave Gee, area training manager for NHBC South & West, said: “What Redrow has done is absolutely brilliant. The support, structure and guidance they are providing not just for the NVQ but for the whole development programme is superb. Redrow’s own modules fitted incredibly well with the NVQ level 3 work and vice versa.”

Following the success of its pilot scheme Redrow is now looking to run a couple of Assistant Site Manager Development Programmes each year with at least 12 people on each. Redrow invests heavily in training at all levels and has its own purpose-built UK training centre, in Tamworth, Staffs, which delivers circa 4,000 training days per annum.