“Historically they were teaching youngsters skills and competences that didn’t reflect the needs of the modern land based business. But that has changed with a lot of programmes and we have been given a voice. The curriculum is still rigorous but they are listening. If you are going to launch a parts or dealer management programme, nobody else knows better than the industry what is required in the course content. Of course alongside college and FE courses, we have manufacturers’ training facilities that support the needs of the industry - JCB included.
"We have to make sure all courses, external and internal, are structured, role-specific and the content supports the needs of the JCB business. These courses provide a tangible career path and industry recognition. The UK acts as a test bed to launch training programmes and courses before we use them in export regions.
"The benefits of training for JCB are that we are sure the content of courses supports the business. The JCB way is that we have brand values which are instilled into all the courses we develop and deliver.
"Trainees feel valued because time and money is being invested for them, with a recognised qualification at the end. The dealer who is investing money in the course is improving his staff and the dealership’s performance. If delegates enjoy a course and can see the benefits, they will talk about it and a recommendation from a colleague is the best you can get.
"Whoever attends a course - an agricultural engineer, parts person or manager - will go back and improve sales and profitability, and work better to meet and exceed their targets. It’s also about being innovative, being concerned about the environment - JCB spends a lot of time and money on reducing our carbon footprint. Training is a win-win for everybody.
"The role of the engineer today is a lot more demanding and diverse. We are not just enhancing their technical skills, but also social and customer handling skills. Plus there is the need for IT skills. The engineer’s role is becoming more IT-disciplined to understand fault diagnosis and bespoke JCB service systems.
"Our training in college and in-house isn’t just about JCB - training introduces people to alternative working principles, processes and practices, provides the opportunity to share experiences and ideas with colleagues from other depots, and means someone is investing in you. Dealers with well trained staff become more efficient and effective and we get positive feedback. Our dealers want to send people on our courses again and again and that is very important.”
