Supply Chain Solutions team members had 100% attendance over ten weeks when their team undertook tailored training through Education Unlimited. It's impressive for people who work shifts across multiple teams and have been out of an educational environment for a long time. They shared their secrets to being engaged and successful in their learning.

Jesse Lewis said he was impressed to be involved in the course design from the beginning.

“The plan was changed before the programme actually started, and we were offered three additional courses.”

Business Manager George Patterson said this early connection was key. “Good engagement starts with a deep-seated desire for people to learn and to grow. I put it to the staff: ‘Who would like to do this? ‘That was essential for building the buy-in to the courses Education Unlimited delivered for us.

“As a business, we'll benefit from developing people working for us. But more than that, they gain life skills for themselves.”

Training succeeds when it matches needs

George Patterson explains, “Very often people don't know what they don't know. The microcredentials we chose offered tools and techniques that people could apply right away. The courses were Introduction to Leadership, Conflict Resolution and Money Confidence.  

Jesse said, "My favourite one was Leadership. I could look at what a leadership perspective means. It made me feel more like a leader and gave me confidence in my work. It was about the ‘why’.”

Education Unlimited does a learning assessment with every participant before they start. This drives any extra support around literacy and numeracy. The pace of the training, the choice of content, and the kaiako are all selected for their match with the group and its needs.

The right tutor sets the right environment

Learners love Education Unlimited’s kaiako and their talent for building fast connections. Importantly, ākonga see their tutors genuinely care and want them to succeed. As George explained, “The tutors won people over. They create a sense of openness and a place where the learners want to come.”

Jesse agrees. “Tuini was good to listen to and enthusiastic about teaching us. She was there to make sure we had a good time and actually learned important skills. The motivation that she had for us to all get through and pass all of the credentials was a big reason for showing up and going through all the work.”

Sophia Hape is also full of praise for Education Unlimited’s tutors. “Tuini was awesome and she's lovely. She makes you relax.”

Trust in the tutor is exceptionally important for adult learners. Many people have had bad experiences with education in their schooling. Putting their hand up for training at work takes bravery and trust. Education Unlimited is dedicated to these learners and giving them a new chance to fulfil their potential.

Sophia explains, “At the start, I was scared. It felt like going back to school. I didn’t know many people either. We're all from the same warehouse, but we're in different teams.

“But it wasn’t like school at all. And we found out about different learning styles and listening skills. That was one of the biggest things I took away and something that I’ll always use.”

Growing means overcoming challenges

Jesse found the programme helped them expand their comfort zone. “I didn't know what to expect going in.

Sophia also recalls needing to dig deep. “The most difficult part was sitting down to record a 60-second video of myself. I had to discuss what we’d covered in the course and what I’d learned. But I handled it. There weren’t any major difficulties.”

Setting people up to overcome the challenges they face is a game-changer. George says the right support helped encourage people’s 100% attendance.

“We looked at the calendar and asked who had leave planned. Our team is extremely diverse, and we’ve got people who need to go back to other countries from time to time. There were also a couple of holidays. We worked with our staff and Education Unlimited to juggle the dates. In the end, we built in a two-week break so people could take their leave. It really helped.”

“We also recognised our learners’ starting points. A few of them said they felt it would be like going back to school. A big part of our support is being aware of that. We really challenged the preconceived ideas, and we gave them our backing. As management, we said, “If you find your fears about the training to be true, then come and have a chat."

I see it as my responsibility as a leader to ask, “What can I do to make this succeed, when I'm not the one who's in there doing the mahi each week. The part I play is allowing space for them to talk about their fears or their learnings. And to just check in on them in a very informal way. I walk the lunchroom, knowing who's on the course, and ask, "How are you finding it? Is it going well?. Those informal chats remind people they have support."

Build a culture of support

A more supportive culture is a visible outcome of the training at Supply Chain Solutions.

Sophia said, “We learnt all about how to listen to someone and understand their perspective. In conflict, that helps. It’s about looking at their thoughts and feelings, then trying to get to a resolution that everyone's going to be happy with.

She can see herself drawing on these skills far into the future. “You're going to take bits and pieces for each of them for every different situation.”

Jesse’s biggest takeaway was confidence. “I had a surprise speech thrust on me. And I thought, ‘Okay, I’m going to step up and lead. 'The confidence was believing in yourself. Also, it helped to find out that others might have the same worries. Everyone's probably thought, hmmm, I'm not too sure about having to go back and learn. Having everyone doing the same stuff helped.”

Sophie said she values the new skills she’s gained. “Active listening. It gives you patience and understanding of other people by thoughtful questions about what someone's talking about.”

George sees the three micro-credentials as a starting point for his team. He’d like them to keep the learning mindset and find more opportunities to grow.

“This is not just ten weeks of people in a meeting room. Instead, it's a catalyst to be able to move things forward and over for the rest of the business. For those who have completed the micro credentials, I want them to be looking ahead for what’s next.”

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