Transcript Slide 1

Sustaining the Spark
Corporate relationship building
Country Energy and TAFE NSW
Francesca Saccaro
Carl Thompson
Lara Blackwell
February 2007
Outline of presentation
1. Country Energy
2. TAFE NSW National Business Office
3. Building Relationships
4. Client Management Model
5. Assistance with Funding
Australia’s largest regional utility
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870,000 retail electricity
customers
24,200 gas network customers
in NSW
10,000 water and sewerage
customers
141 offices, customer centres
and field service centres
$1.9 billion in annual revenue,
placing Country Energy in
Australia’s top 150 companies
A profitable energy
retailer in five Australian
states and territories.
Australia’s largest electricity network
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4,200 employees
Manages Australia’s largest
energy supply network covers
95% of NSW
195,000 kilometres of powerlines,
1.4 million power poles, and
113,000 distribution substations
620 new apprenticeships since
2001
Established a multi-award
winning Indigenous Employment
Program
Nine locally managed
regions, close to customers
and their communities.
What is the Powerful Skills Initiative about ?
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Identifying the competencies /qualifications
required in the workplace
Determining the competencies and
qualifications already held by our staff
Identifying individual’s development needs
Implementing the Initiative
into Country Energy
The initiative has 3 main phases.
These are:
1. Consultation, Development and Communication
Phase
2. Implementation Phase
3. Monitor and Review Phase
CE’s Goals
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Align training outcomes to National requirements
Strategic alliance between TAFE NSW and Country
Energy
Incorporate a mentoring system and processes
into Country Energy (CE)
Introduce a learning and development model for
T/Ls
Add capacity and competitiveness to CE by
building the skills base of its workforce
Country Energy’s Footprint
NEI
North West
301 staff
Northern
353 staff
Far North Coast
456 staff
WI
NCI
Mid North Coast
1,015 staff
Far West
256 staff
Central West
489 staff
Sth
Western
285 staff
Sth Eastern
506 staff
RI
Riverina
245 staff
II
HI
Organisation Challenges (CE)
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Confronting a dynamic, highly regulated, and
contestable market
Develop new skills and abilities in our existing workforce
Skill and empower our T/Ls as mentors to drive the
change at the workplace level
Ensure training, assessment and skills recognition is
targeted to meet clearly identified current and future
needs
Achieve maximum leverage from our training budget
Organisation Challenges (TAFE)
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Contextualising training services to reflect CE’s
/ processes
systems
Expand “Best Practice” flexible delivery across TAFE NSW
(non traditional time, location and delivery methods)
Move from a didactic approach to a more blended
delivery method
• Customised skills gap training programs with flexible
delivery options
New ESI TDR on TAFE NSW scope
• Development of associated learning and assessment
resources
• Capability to deliver – teachers with appropriate
experience and qualifications in CE’s footprint
Common Challenges
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Recognising and validating Country Energy’s
current training and assessment resources
Developing our training products / services to
the standard required by the training packages
Development of appropriate assessment tools
Ensure our processes meet the rigour of the
National Quality Council (NQC)
The demography of both organisations
• Age, size, geography and environment
Paradigm shift for both organisations
• Tension between past “things” and future
needs
How this is being implemented
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A strategic alliance between the two organisations
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CE Learning and Development maintain their
current roles and responsibilities
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Auspicing by TAFE NSW for training and
assessment services outside CE’s scope of
registration
Training Partnership Manager based with CE and
supported by:
- 2 Discipline Experts – Technical and Business
- TAFE NSW Virtual Team representing each Institute across
CE’s footprint
How this is being implemented
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Off-the-job assessment by RTO’s (CE and TAFE)
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Validation of on-the-job skill by Team Leader
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Shared record keeping and reporting in accordance
with RTO and AQTF requirements
Incorporating auditing into initiative’s outcomes
Source a variety of funding options to leverage CE’s
training budget
Roles of Training Partner Manager
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First point of contact for training and assessment services
outside CE scope
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Validate alignment of CE course to National requirements
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Alignment of assessment processes to Training Package
requirements
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Validate assessment tools
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Ensure AQTF / RTO requirements are adhered to
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Co-ordinate the delivery of TAFE services across the
footprint
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Work closely with Learning & development and Powerful
Skills Team
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Work closely with Teaching and Learning Networks to
ensure consistent delivery across the footprint
Outcomes for Participants
Business Services
Roles
Training
Package
AQF
No’s
Contact Centre Customer Service
ICT 02
CIII
140
ICT 02
CIII
80
Meter Readers
Bundled
CII
130
Customer service Centre Advisers
BSB 01
CIII
100
Metering Services Admin
BSB 01
CIII
12
Payroll
BSB 01
CIII
10
Service Desk Officer
ICA05
CIII
15
IT Business Analysts
ICA05
CV
6
IT Communications Techs
ICA05 /
CIV
15
Advisers
Supply Interruptions Customer
Service Adviser
ICT02
IT Tech Support Officers
ICA05
CIV
20
Service Delivery Admin
BSB 01
CII &
250
CIII
Outcomes for Participants
Technical
Roles
Training
package
AQF
No’s
Asset Inspectors
New
CII
140
Warehousing
TDT 02
CII & CIII
20
Design & Project
Mgmt
UET06
CIV, CV &
CVI
70
Network Operators
UET 06
CVI
50
Dispatch Officers
Bundled
CIV
30
Electrical Workers
Bundled
CII
150
Powerline Workers
UET 06
CIII
590
Zone Substation
Techs
UET 06
CIV, CV &
CVI
120
High Voltage
Testers
UEE 06
CIV
10
Country Energy Project
Management
Nov 13, 2006
Sep 18, 2006
Sep 4, 2006
Start
D.D.G
Function for
Govt Dept
Nov 3, 2006
Presentation
to Country Energy
In Sydney
Nov-06
Dec-06
D.D.G
Meeting with CE
Dec 18, 2006
Jun-07
Project Review
With TAFE and C.E
Consultant Report
and Presentation to CE
Nov-06 - Dec-06
Consultant
Oct-06
Feb 16, 2007
Project scope
Agreement and start
of project
Jan-07 - Feb-07
Trial scope +
Negotiation
Jan-07
Feb-07
Mar-07 - Jun-07
Training Partnership
Mar-07
Apr-07
May-07
September 2, 2006
Jul-07
Aug-07
Sep-07
September 30, 2007
Jan 12, 2007
Sep 12, 2006
Jun-07
Sep 22, 2006
Meeting with Curriculum
Centre
Training partnership
Country Energy
Proposal Letter to Country
st
1 NBO meeting
Nov 27, 2006
Energy
In Port Macquarie
Country Energy
First review of project
Feb 22, 2007
Phase 2
3 month trial
Customer Relationship Process
Understanding
Understand the
culture of the
organisation from
top to bottom.
Know your
capability (TAFE)
Be responsive to
client needs.
Trust.
Communication.
Creativity.
Commitment
Understand
your clients
needs.
Investing in
Country
Energy’s future
and growth.
Credibility.
Relationships
Managing the
matrix of
relationships with
TAFE Senior
Management with
Country Energy
Senior
Management.
Do not neglect
internal
relationships
(teaching staff).
Teams
Develop a team
approach
involving teaching
staff, business
unit and Country
Energy.
Project
management of
all activities.
Regular
Communication.
TAFE NSW/Country Energy
Key Relationships Matrix
Country Energy
T.Benson
Group GM
Corp Service
TAFE NSW
M. Persson
D.D.G
K. Fillingham
G.M
F. Saccaro
Director NBO
D. Owen
Client Relations
Manager NBO
L. Blackwell
Training
Partnership
Coordinator
Virtual Team
Keven
Semple
G.M Human
Resources
Carl Thompson
Competency
Manager
Bob Lowe
Training
Manager
Country
Energy
regions
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Other Aspects : Building the
relationship
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Project management of training activities
One point on contact – Training Partnership Manager
Building relationships at all levels within TAFE NSW and
Country Energy
Joint media releases
Good news stories in Cross Country and TAFELINK
publication
Joint promotional activities
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Cross Country May 2007
Powerful skills for 2000 plus
our needs,” Carl said.
“The trainers will come to us,
and at a time that works for
us. This will allow us to work
around the unexpected, like
storms or emergencies that
need to take priority.”
L-R: Marie Persson, Deputy Director-General, TAFE and Community Education, and Terri Benson,
Country Energy’s Group General Manager Corporate
TAFELINK June 2007
Abstract:
TAFE NSW and Country Energy (CE) have embarked on the Powerful Skills project, a major training
initiative to support the professional development and skill recognition of more than 2,000 CE
employees during the next two years.
Role of TAFE NSW Institute staff
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Discipline Experts – Technical and Business
• Contextualise training programs to reflect CE’s systems and processes
• Conduct assessment validation in collaboration with CE subject matter
experts
• Liaise with TAFE Curriculum Centres regarding resource development
• Coordinate timely resource development, delivery and assessment
development for their team of teachers and assessors
• Liaise with CE subject matter experts and Team Leaders regarding program
content
• Lead the Teaching and Learning Networks to ensure consistent delivery
across the footprint
• Quality assure delivery and assessment across their delivery team
Note: Supported by TAFE NSW Virtual Team (representatives from each
regional Institute in NSW)
Measuring Our Success
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Targeted Awards
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NSW Training Awards
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Premiers Public Sector Award
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Project Mgmt Achievement Awards
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Organisation/Change Mgmt
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Targeted Funding
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$500k (Organisation and individual)
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This funding will be sought from the following areas:
• SSP – TAA, OHS & Frontline Management Diploma SCU’s
• COAG
• WELL Funding – Literacy, Numeracy and Computer Literacy
• New Entrant, Mid Career Apprentices and Existing Worker
Traineeships
• Incentives for Higher Technical Skills
Advice and Learning's (CE)
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Achieve “buy in” by Management
Establish a team of SME’s
Develop transparent processes – aligning with
AQTF
• Always be impartial, don’t promise what you
can’t deliver and trust will develop over time
Don’t underestimate the time and resources it will
take
Accuracy of the work is paramount
• Select an effective Business Unit Coordinator
Advice and Learning's (CE)
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Factor in the down-time for training of staff already
performing the work covered by the qualification
Partnerships with like minded RTO’s in your industry
• Sharing learning resource and material significantly
reduces costs
Develop effective networks and actively participate
Building it into industrial agreement achieves
commitment
• However, linking it to salaries has advantages and
disadvantages
Keep the Unions in the loop - They encourage skills
acquisition and their support helps in gaining
acceptance with the workplace
Advice and Learning’s - TAFE
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Achieve buy in from all stakeholders
Set up strong formal and informal communication
structures
Define the project in terms of current as well as
future goals
Work with clients resources to capitalise on work
completed and avoid duplication
Look after staff being flexible and responsive can
take its toll