Millboard's Investment In Staff With Chamber Training!
Introduction To Millboard
Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce Training offers a variety of top-notch commercial courses tailored for local businesses. Among these, Millboard has benefitted from our ILM Level 2 and ILM Level 3 programmes, along with additional training such as Microsoft Excel courses, to upskill their current workforce.
Millboard, a medium-sized manufacturing company based in Coventry, specialises in high-quality building materials including outside flooring, alternative timber flooring, outdoor living, unique wood-free materials, composite decking, composite cladding, architectural materials, commercial building materials, architect CPD Accreditations, and sustainable materials. Millboard has a competitive advantage of manufacturing with Millboard material that is hard-wearing and sustainable. Millboard has strong values around staff culture, ensuring that staff receive training and development as it holds between 51-200 employees. Millboard has used a range of commercial training courses with Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce Training including ILM Level 2 Award in Leadership and Management and Microsoft Excel Training.
Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce Training interviewed Sean McFarlane, Production Manager at Millboard in charge of manufacturing for the Ryton site.
Why does Millboard invest in staff?
Sean says: “Millboard values the development of its staff internally by ensuring that staff are kept up to date with the relevant training they need. Investment in staff training is a fundamental part of Millboards values to ensure that staff have the qualifications they need to progress within their job role aswell as supporting the needs of the business. Millboard stands firm in believing that staff development lies at the heart of its success. Millboard places importance on nurturing employee’s growth and skills through a dedication to continuous learning and professional enrichment through training. Millboard looks to empower its workforce, creating an environment that thrives on innovation and collaboration through investing in staff commercial training through Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber Training. Embracing ongoing development as a guiding principle, Millboard aims not just to meet industry demands but to exceed them by fostering a workforce equipped with the tools and knowledge to navigate any challenge.”
What benefits does Millboard see in terms of employee satisfaction, retention, and overall performance as a result of investing in staff?
“The company has been through an unparallel period of growth over the past 8+ years and believes strongly in investing in its people through training development. They work we do at Ryton is very specialised and we need the best people available. A large % of the team on site have been here through the growth period as the business has grown with them. The skills the Team Leaders, Rising Star’s and operators have, has been gained through learning by doing which has brought us huge success up to this point. The next steps of evolution involve external training, such as ILM2 & ILM3. This gives the team exposure to different tools that they may have been unfamiliar with, such as Lean Manufacturing and Problem-Solving techniques. This will enable the team to make tangible improvements to their workplace and work with the supporting teams on-site to improve our processes. This will lead to reduced waste, reduced lead time to make products, with an additional focus on product quality, enabling us to make our cladding and decking products right first time.”
How does the training received from Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce Training directly support Millboard's goals and strategic objectives?
“The ILM2 and ILM3 courses are very work-based and enable the team to progress their skills as well as improving how they carry out their day-to-day tasks. It is very important that the training delivered to the teams is based on something tangible and relatable to their current role and responsibilities. I was very fortunate to do a time-served engineering apprenticeship at Automotive Products in Leamington, starting back in 1995. The apprenticeship scheme was structured well and ensured that as well as nationally recognised qualifications, we had on-the-job training across multiple engineering, manufacturing and service teams. This meant after 4 years we were not only qualified, but capable of doing the job itself. Having begun my career as an apprentice, and then attending university whilst working full time, I do understand deeply the importance of ensuring that all training should be goal goal-driven so it will impact how employees work and think daily, which will benefit the business not only now, but as we move into the future with further growth.”
Would you recommend Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce Training to other businesses?
“Absolutely. The communication from Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce has been very clear. The multiple course offerings available are very compelling and link very well to the job functions the team at Millboard carry out. The standard of training delivery is very high and the trainers appreciate that some of my team haven’t completed any structured learning since leaving school, so their patience and teaching methods are very much appreciated. I have had a very positive experience dealing with the people at Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce and look forwards to using them again as we develop the 2024 training programme at Millboard.”
If you are interested in any of our Commercial courses, then email enquiries@cw-chambertraining.co.uk or call 024 76231122.