HLM to invest £250,000 in new Training Academy launch
Plymouth-based architects, HLM, has announced the launch of ‘HLM Academy’, a £250,000 investment. The in-house professional excellence programme will help ensure that all employees have the opportunity and resources to reach their full potential.
The Training Academy will be available to all 240 staff — management, design and administration — based across the company’s six UK and two overseas offices and to the subsidiaries within the wider group. Every employee will be provided with a personalised career development plan, which will identify and enhance their strengths, whilst working on those areas where further support and training is required. The Academy will also help those who wish to develop specific aspects of their role or take on additional responsibilities.
HLM’s commitment to staff development has already been recognised by the industry: in a recent survey conducted by Building Magazine, HLM came out as one of the top 50 employers in the UK’s construction sector.
Karen Mosley, a director at HLM, said: “We are delighted to announce the launch of the HLM Academy, which will provide all staff with a unique blueprint for their career. HLM as a group has always taken the development of its staff seriously and the Academy will provide the structure for individuals to really excel. We have recently re-affirmed our mission and vision, which will be embedded in everything we do, and the Academy underpins our core values of People, Quality and Clients. We know that every person matters and everyone adds value, and that everyone needs to be valued. Critical to our success is everyone playing to their strengths — doing what they do best — as well as being recognised for the value they add to our business.”
Ajay Sharma, director at HLM Plymouth Office comments: “The Academy has been well received by the team at Plymouth. All existing and new employees will be enrolled into the Academy and because everyone is unique, with different strengths and aspirations, we will design a career path tailored to each individual employee. The launch of the HLM Academy will put training and development at the heart of our business and will become an integral part of life at HLM. We have a very close-knit team in the Plymouth office who not only work well together but also socialise regularly. This launch is a very clear demonstration that we are committed to not only providing a great place to work, but a place where everyone can grow and develop.”
In addition, HLM has just been awarded two stars by Best Companies — an independent workplace assessment organisation, further demonstrating that the company is a great place to work. The company’s two-star-rating (up from one star in 2013) is derived from the Best Companies Accreditation process. Each company that puts itself forward for independent assessment is given a Best Companies Index score (BCI) ranging from 1 to 1000. The score is achieved based on the employee’s responses to questions in the Best Companies survey and covers eight key areas including wellbeing, leadership and personal growth.
Ajay Sharma adds: “With the recent launch of the HLM Academy, providing a unique career blueprint for all our employees, and public recognition by ‘Best Companies’, we are confident that this will further reinforce our position in the UK marketplace and that we offer a great place to work.”
