Article summary: Last week, our first cohort of First Line Leadership in Engineering delegates successfully completed the 6-month programme, with a final session where they were accompanied by their managers and delivered their final project presentations. Read on to find out what they enjoyed most about the course.
The delegates were tasked with coming up with a business development or cost-saving project idea and presenting, using the tools and techniques they developed during the course, in a way that would be appropriate for senior management.
After presenting their projects, the delegates were presented with their certificates and discussed what they enjoyed most about the experience. They explained how their confidence had grown with presenting ideas both to fellow colleagues as well as senior management.
Alex’s manager, who works at Hamble Aerostructures, said that his presentation skills have significantly developed since the beginning of the course.
He said, “Alex started presenting the middle of last year to our MD on a project, and his ability to present in the meeting, his body language and the way he came across, his engagement, has improved massively, to the point where questions that were directed around him in the meeting are now being directed at him in the meeting to answer which is a testament to how well he’s been doing.”
Gatis, who works at Barfoots of Botley, said that the course has grown his confidence and changed the way he mentors new apprentices, adapting from a management style to more of a leadership position.
Gatis said, “I think this course has given me a lot of confidence, now I can stand up and go and talk to the managers because in my day-to-day job is fixing machines, I don’t often go and talk to people, and also when guiding apprentices, before if they’d come to me with a problem, I’m hands-on trying to help them get it done, but I’m trying to take in what Tim taught us to guide them to the solution, not do it for them, and I’ll definitely be taking that forward.”
Gatis’ manager added, “I’ve been with Gatis for 14 years and he joined us from Latvia and he’s been through a lot at PETA he’s done a lot, he’s gone from the basics all the way through, and now he knows how to approach the managers to discuss things and improvements and he comes across well.”
Connor from Runfold Plastics said, “I’ve found this course so personally valuable, especially the way Tim has presented it throughout the whole unit, it’s just been so efficient and it’s stuck in my head how he’s presented everything, so I can’t say enough how valuable I’ve found it.”
His manager, Scott, said, “For me, Connor’s grown so much in the workplace and the way he speaks and promotes himself is the biggest difference that I’ve seen, from being in the office and going to speak to somebody in the office next door or through the corridor, he’s really taken inspiration from the course.”
Our next First Line Leadership in Engineering course is starting at the end of April, spaces are filling up so book your place now: https://www.peta.co.uk/14/188/First-Line-Leadership-in-Engineering/PET002468