Every large organisation will have a structured approach to employee training – that’s to be expected. But training is worth nothing without a learning culture based on trust, empowerment and analysis of what went well and why, as well as mistakes. When this approach is combined with on-the-job learning, it enables our VINCI Energies business model, philosophy and values to support and nurture an environment where everyone is empowered to achieve their ambitions.

Working in a large, international company, you could feel like a small fish in a big ocean, but at VINCI Energies everyone can be a big fish. Our 1,100 employees in the UK and Republic of Ireland are spread across 30 engineer-led business units, like SMEs, in lean teams that are trusted to take decisions and act quickly to meet customer needs.

In this entrepreneurial set-up, it’s all hands on deck. Everyone has a vital role to play in the overall success of the business unit and can take on a wider range of tasks and responsibilities than they would otherwise. Naturally, this brings opportunities to develop new knowledge and skills but also to have achievements noticed and recognised.

Local teams, global networks

At the same time, our people in the UK and Ireland benefit from being part of a global network. Whether by job function or market sector, we host all sorts of events and forums for employees to meet their peers in different business units and countries and share experiences.

Nobody really learns from just looking at a PowerPoint presentation, we learn by talking with others and hearing about real-life situations. The key is facilitating those relationships so that people instinctively reach out to each other for advice and support whenever they need it.

So that’s how our decentralised business model promotes on-the-job learning, but what about our values?

At VINCI Energies, we trust and empower our people. Trust is given but it works both ways. We want everyone to feel free to be who they are and comfortable being transparent when something hasn’t gone as well as it should have. It’s human to make mistakes and there is a lot we can learn from them so that we can do better in the future if we hold our hands up and help each other to find a solution.

Although we run our business from the bottom up, this trust and transparency needs to come from top down. If our people see the behaviour of leaders throughout the group, that show it’s okay to make mistakes, then we can have some positive discussions for improvement.

Taking the time to reflect and listen

There is also a lot we can learn from what has gone well and, as keen as we are to move onto the next project in our fast-paced environment, it’s important for our people to take the time to celebrate successes too. This is something we are actively encouraging in all our Business Units.

And when our people do undertake dedicated training, we make it as relevant to their everyday work as possible. None of our programmes are developed without understanding what key skills are needed at business unit level. Rather, we ensure that we speak with our people regularly to find out what challenges they face in their role and sector and how we can design training to provide a solution for them.

At brand level, we have training centres, such as the Omexom Institute, that provide technical training specific to each business unit’s area of expertise. We also have the VINCI Energies Academy, which provides training on the fundamentals of our business for all employees, regardless of the brand they represent.

Supporting employees’ ambitions

To support employees’ career ambitions, we have recently introduced three new rolling development programmes through the VINCI Energies Academy – a Talent Programme to help develop our entry level people, an Accelerator Programme for those with high potential and a Leadership Programme for both current and future leaders.

The Talent Programme, for example, which we launched in October 2022, runs alongside the local graduate schemes to nurture the soft skills that aren’t included in the technical training and enables them to network and build connections across our brands right from the start of their career journey.

It is up to each employee to take responsibility for their own learning. Like stopping to reflect on mistakes and achievements, it can be difficult to set aside time for training, but it is important for their career and our overall business. I have heard many managers say that time away for training is as important as the job you are doing every day and you need to ruthlessly prioritise your own development because nobody else is going to.

When we hire, we specifically look for candidates who already share our values. We seek out people with an entrepreneurial mindset, who relish responsibility, enjoy having control of their own destiny, want to take ownership of their development and encourage others.

So, all of this contributes to a learning culture at VINCI Energies that goes beyond the training we provide to encompass every aspect of the way we work. Employees are empowered to fulfil their potential and reach their ambitions – and our customers see the results in the industry-leading projects we deliver.