Shared Vision: Together with the retailer’s Learning & Development team, we envisioned a solution where we could both be a catalyst for meaningful change. We both felt we could go beyond meeting scorecard requirements and uplift young graduates by providing them with opportunities for future development. This held the potential to bridge the skills gap and champion a culture of innovation and growth going forward.
A Social Citizenship Partnership: When we were enlisted, it resonated deeply. The duty and sense of social citizenship we felt meant that we could help create meaningful change for the retailer and young professionals. We recognised the immense potential of collaboration and embraced what we had a chance of delivering — a way to drive progress with a partner who was also championing technical progress.
The Empowering Solution: We embarked on a two-month process to fully understand the retailer’s unique human-to-tech landscape, making sure that the learning journey matched exactly what they needed. Our focus revolved around three critical areas: Cybersecurity, software development and testing. Naturally, our focus went beyond technical skills and into foundational professional skills – what we call Capability Academies. These cornerstones of learning included empathy, creative thinking, and effective communication. Each learning journey would involve facilitator learning, online content, Subject Matter Expert input and simulation assessment.
A Journey Towards Progress:The learning we put forward was thoughtfully designed to inspire hope and ignite interest, demonstrating the possibilities that awaited these young graduates. The learning path blended online modules and practical experiences with immersive instructor-led courses, all curated to build a sense of belonging and progress.
Support and Real-Time Guidance: Understanding the retailer’s urgency, we provided real-time support and guidance. With the belief that every learner deserves a chance to succeed, a Learning Journey Manager was assigned to monitor their progress, offering support, and providing incremental assessments where needed. Lagging learners were met with understanding and paired with skilled mentors to ensure no one was left behind.
Empowering Relevance and Professional Impact: Rather than focusing on standardised qualifications, our solution emphasised the relevance of skills needed ‘in the building’. The goal was to equip graduates with the skills that would allow them to progress into meaningful roles and thrive in their careers.
