Veolia has been recognised for outstanding commitment to workplace training by gaining a the Princess Royal Training Award (PRTA) for its recent initiative: Respect at Work. The awards were presented by HRH Princess Anne, at a ceremony held at St James’s Palace in London last night – 30 October.
This training programme was developed by Veolia to help their operative workforce, who are out working with the general public on a daily basis, better manage the regular abuse they receive from members of the public.
The Princess Royal Training Awards (PRTAs) recognises employers whose training and development programmes have had a direct impact on business performance and show compelling, irrefutable evidence of how training has directly influenced business results.
Veolia had identified the verbal and physical abuse of their employees by members of the public as a significant issue and designed the wide ranging training programme. The programme was implemented by the dedicated People Development team and a training bus that was deployed across the UK in order to maximise reach across operational sites. These were supported by a project team with representatives from HR, QHS and Communications. After around 3,500 employees completed Respect at Work training, the company received an unprecedented positive feedback rate of 99% from those who answered the survey, with 97% saying they had learned a new skill.
Gavin Graveson, Executive Vice-President, Veolia UK & Ireland commented:
“This award is a huge achievement and it shows the commitment Veolia has not only to learning and people development, but for the wellbeing of employees too. With Safety as the first strategic objective of our safety culture , the need for employees to be given the knowledge and training required to protect themselves from incidents of abuse by members of the public is very important.”
Chris Jones, Chief Executive of the City & Guilds Group said:
“The work that HR and L&D teams do to train, upskill and reskill teams is critical; helping individuals to reach their potential and find meaningful employment, while supporting businesses in developing the skills for success, and ultimately producing the productive workforce we so urgently need. The organisations we recognise today all provide compelling evidence that tangibly proves the value that comes from investing in people.”
Now in their fourth year, the Princess Royal Training Awards Commission recognised 48 workplace learning programmes for an award in 2019. Established by global skills development body: City & Guilds Group, the PRTAs recognise employers with outstanding training and development programmes that have had a direct impact on business performance. Organisations that met the standard in 2019 range from global firms such as Veolia, to local businesses with fewer than 50 employees.
For more information visit www.veolia.co.uk
