Telent
In this case story we look at how Telent have connected their apprentices and graduates with their company values and culture, building a sense of belonging, accelerating personal development and boosting retention.
This programme brings apprentices and graduates together to:
- Build skills in line with organisational values
- Develop measurable behaviours
- Enhance self-awareness, teamwork and communication.
Business need
When the apprenticeship levy launched in 2017, Telent saw an opportunity to increase the number of apprentices taking their first step in an engineering and telecoms career. Harnessing the levy’s potential became key to both their internal growth strategy and the progression of the Telent digital revolution.
Telent needed a partner who could deliver a programme at scale, to bring their apprentices and graduates together on a programme that would help them to quickly adopt their company values and culture. By providing early careers talent with clear learning processes that deliver continuous improvement, they would develop the behaviours necessary to activate the technical knowledge and skills training required at Telent.
The outcome
By the end of the programme the apprentices and graduates have a deeper, lived experience of the behaviours required to meet the demands of the business. They’re aware of their own preferences and how to work with them, and how to adapt them for the greatest effect depending on the situation.
They’ve explored different tools for planning and problem solving in a dynamic environment, understood the implications of effective communication across different business functions and practiced teamwork and how self and others’ behaviours can influence a team.
In their words...
“As well as my aim to become better in communication, especially in team environments, I feel I have also aimed at improving my decision making skills as a result of the activities I faced at Outward Bound. This is something I’ve decided to work on back in the workplace, so the programme has been beneficial for my further career.”
"Since joining Telent I felt that I didn't know anyone. I imagine this is partly due to the pandemic, really enjoyed getting to know other people in Telent, I feel like I have a wider support group if I need help or guidance, where before I knew fewer people to turn to."
How we did it
We designed an intense action centred programme that explore capabilities applicable to the Telent work environment. The learning experience is packed with adventurous activities that take apprentices and graduates out of their comfort zone and encourage them to work in a different way. Some of the models, tools and techniques used on the programme have already been introduced in the workplace, but they take on an entirely different form in Outward Bound’s dynamic outdoor learning environment than they do in classroom based training. Reflection, review and feedback embeds this real-time behavioural development, whilst showing early careers talent how to apply what they have learnt back at work to support their technical knowledge and skills based training.
Download this case story
Download a PDF of this case story to remind yourself how Telent have provided their apprentices and graduates with clear learning processes to build the behaviours that will effectively activate their technical knowledge and skills training.
Can we help you?
Over 4000 apprentices and graduates take part in an Outward Bound learning and adventure programme every year. From connecting with company values to building resilience and communication skills, we work together to fast track their development. The first stage is just a conversation...